


Purple Haze

by Olivia_Janae



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/F, Magic, My First Fanfic, Swan-Mills Family, magic!baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 02:52:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 40,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3793948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivia_Janae/pseuds/Olivia_Janae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Emma finds herself in the middle of the street with The Mayor she doesn't like, unsure of how she got there she simply shrugs it off and moves on. However, there is a thin line between love and hate and after a secret night of passion Emma is heartbroken to hear a juicy piece of gossip about The Mayor. Despite that, why does she find herself increasingly drawn to the woman?</p><p>(My first fic. Magic!Baby)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Emma:**

* * *

 

__

_Wait, what?_

She was on her way to do something.

What was it?

She was going - somewhere - damn it.

She hated when she forgot what she doing as she was on her way to do it. Nothing was more infuriating than entering a room solid on your purpose, only to have your mind wiped clean as suddenly as if you had stepped through a sheet of glacial water.

Glancing around for inspiration she jumped a bit as she noticed the people around her; all just slightly too close for her comfort level. The mayor and her son stood awkwardly close, blinking slowly next to her and huddled close to Deputy David and his Wife, Mary Margaret.

Had they been talking and she just completely spaced?

She cleared her throat, self-consciously, "Madam Mayor." She wasn't sure if this was a greeting or an apology.

The woman jumped, the blank look on her face swirling into a bitter distaste. "Sheriff."

The group surveyed one another expressionlessly and then as if on cue their vision seemed to clear and at once they began to move, grumbling half felt apologies. With an obvious dismissal of the others, The Mayor ushered her son away, hurrying toward the school while Mary Margaret and her husband started off in the opposite direction.

_Weird_. Emma shrugged and adjusting the red leather jacket around her shaking off the strange moment and headed back toward the station.

Clearly, she needed more sleep.

She checked her watch. Hell, if she didn't hurry and get her breakfast she would be late for her full day of sitting around, playing wastebasket basketball and if she got lucky, pulling a cat or two out of a tree!

Ducking into Granny's for a quick coffee and donut she chatted lightly with the leggy brunette behind the counter as a new pot of coffee brewed.

"Ms. Swan. " The clipped tone beside her sent a shiver of cold up her spine. "Between this and your inattention in the street, you seem to be having a full day of lounging. Isn't there someone in this town who could use a parking ticket? That is your job, correct?"

Emma studied the professionally blank face of The Mayor for what felt like the hundredth time recently. How is it someone so beautiful could be so – bitchy? What was her problem?

Before she could respond the coffee and donut appeared on the counter, courtesy of Ruby. She took them, biting her tongue with all of her might and with a nod, turned and headed for the door.

She was new in this town, it was true, but it hadn't taken her long to understand the politics of the city. There was a hierarchy and The Mayor was Queen Bitch. Life was not easy if you were not on the good side of the queen and clearly, for whatever undiscovered reason; Emma was not. It was almost as if she had arrived already on the brunette's shit list.

She had better get to work.

* * *

 

The day sure was a kickin' one too. Two phone calls from citizens complaining about their neighbors cut into her wild game of balancing a pencil on the flat end of the eraser. Another phone call complaining about the still broken lights on Main interrupted her riveting one-man game of paper football.

Why had she moved to a small city? This was so boring.

It wasn't until the afternoon that things got a little more interesting. Lounging casually, ankles curled atop her desk, she was just beginning to master the alluring talent of balancing the pencil's eraser on the tip of her nose when the door flew open with a bang.

Emma's arms and legs flailed in midair for second as her start of surprise nearly tipped her backward. The pencil sailed across the room at the speed of light. Emma had only a moment to gape at it before she righting herself as quickly as possible, feigning composure and looking studiously at a random file next to her. All she needed was for The Mayor to see her doing nothing – not that there was anything to do.

Her shoulders released with a puff of hair when she saw not the perfectly coiffed hair and flashing eyes of The Mayor but instead the wide goofy grin of The Mayor's son, Henry. Emma smiled. She hadn't spent a lot of time with the kid, almost none in fact but she knew he was cute beyond all measure with his little flop of brown hair and pointy little chin.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?"

He thumped to the chair across from her, tossing his backpack nonchalantly and giving her a twinkling grin. "I'm doing a project in school about authority figures and I thought I would do it about you."

"Me? Uh, what about your mom? Shouldn't you do it about her?" She could only imagine the reaction the woman would have if she knew that she had been surpassed for the blonde Sheriff.

"Yeah, but I live with her so I know that her job is _boring_. You're more interesting. You catch the bad guys."

"It's true, Storybrooke is flooded with evil villains." Emma mumbled but she couldn't help but to smile at his eager little face, his hazel eyes exuberant. "Okay sure. Why not? As long as it's okay with your mom."

Henry settled into the chair, shrugging noncommittally. She had an idea that shrug was going to get her in trouble but watching him wiggle his little butt until he could squeeze into the chair alongside his backpack Emma thought that it might just be worth it.

"Then I have some questions for you."

"Okay, shoot." Emma cried, eyes wide and hands up in surrender. Henry collapsed into giggles at her joke giving Emma a quick moment of pride.

But before he could start his interrogation, his eyes fell to the desk, "What's that?"

She glanced confused at his outstretched finger and picked up the paper football, "What - this? That can't be one of your questions." She teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"It's a paper football." She waited for the light of recognition to flicker in his eyes but none came, "You've played paper football, right?"

"No?"

"What? You're kidding! Come here, I'll show you."

It was true she was still fairly new to the job, but she was sure as she headed back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast that today would go down in history as the best day on the job - ever.

Henry was a trip. He had caught on to the game like lightening and the two had spent a good hour flicking the football between their open fingers, catcalling and joking. When The Mayor's clicking heels announced her arrival the score was fifteen to twenty. "You're a natural" she had sworn ruffling his hair, noting - with pleasure- the irritated quirk on the mayor's face.

"Wait, I didn't ask you any of my questions!" Henry Cried, his eyebrows furrowing in such a way that Emma knew she was guilty of often enough. It's funny how things like that can be universal.

"Another time Henry," Regina said, a small amount of warmth leaking through her usual deadpan as she spoke to her son, "you have an appointment with Dr. Hopper."

"Yeah, kid, there's always tomorrow." She said bending to his level, straightening his two-tone scarf and winking.

"Okay." He smiled and without warning threw his arms around her neck. "I had fun."

Flabbergasted and a bit flattered, she smiled as hugged the small child back. He turned and followed his mother out the door calling behind him, "See you tomorrow, Emma."

Emma sighed as she unlocked the hotel room door and flopped onto her bed.

If nothing else it had been nice to have some company for a while.

**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Regina:**

* * *

 

 

She couldn't help but to feel a tweak of irritation as Henry continued to ramble on through dinner about his afternoon with 'Sheriff Emma'. It wasn't that she was unhappy that Henry had enjoyed himself because she wasn't, of course she wasn't...but there was something about that _woman_ that simply bothered her. She didn't know if it was the way there always seemed to be a small twinkle of defiance in The Sheriff's' eyes when Regina gave her an order or if it was simply that the woman was new to the small town and, therefore, foreign. Whatever the reason she was more than ready to stop hearing about her. So she was quite annoyed when the blonde showed up on her large front step the next morning.

 

"Ms. Swan, can I help you?"

 

"Um, I'm here for Henry?" The statement came out more as a question as the blonde's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "He didn't tell you? He asked me to take him to school so he could ask me some more questions."

 

"No. He didn't."

She pursed her lips, annoyed, preparing to question her more thoroughly when Henry called from upstairs, "Is that Emma?"

 

They exchanged glances for a moment, Regina contemplated whether to let the sheriff wait on the porch, let her in before stiffly or quickly and thoroughly tear her apart so she went skittering back to the station with her tail between her legs. But finally Regina settled on civility and took a step back, opening the door for the woman, "Come in. I guess."

 

"Hey Henry!" Emma grinned, cock and bellowed up the stairs.

 

"Sheriff!" Regina chided, covering the ear closest to the woman, "Do you mind? This is a house not a stable nor is it the typical hostels you are used to."

 

Emma just gave her a quick up and down, "You're grumpy in the morning."

 

" _Excuse me_?"

 

"I said, you're grumpy in the morning. I dunno why, but I thought you would be a morning person."

 

"Ms. Swan –" about to inform the little pest exactly where she could put her thoughts about her when Emma cut her off.

"Emma." Regina's eyes narrow infinitesimally. "I've told you before."

 

"Ms. Swan!"

 

"He up here?" Emma asked cutting across her yet again and didn't waiting for an answer before starting up the stairs.

 

Regina followed quickly overtaking her, affronted to this woman's behavior in the house of a _stranger_. Who had raised this woman? Wolves? As a matter of fact, she was so affronted that she didn't notice the miniature blue Converse shoe resting in wait on the step before her.

 

"Look out!" Emma cried, as Regina's long heel caught the toe of the shoe and she stumbled.

She had just long enough to think, panicked, _oh no, I'm falling_ before she was stable.

For a moment, the woman blinked unsure how she had gotten into the strong arms now holding her. A chill of something warm slid down her spine as she cleared her throat. The sheriff, ever the _hero_ apparently, had caught her. She straightened quickly and smoothed her navy pencil skirt, "Thank you, Ms. Swan."

 

"Emma."

 

"Thank you, Emma." She snapped, picked up the shoe and rounded the corner into Henry's room, "How many times have I asked you not to leave your shoes on the stairs? Someone could get hurt."

 

"Sorry mom." He smiled guiltily, flashing his best puppy dog eyes. The sight forced a large smile to bloom over her face and she kissed his forehead, fondness churning in her stomach. "Don't forget to come to my office after school today."

 

"Yes mom." He rolled his eyes exasperated with her almost daily reminder. She kissed his head again and noticed The Sheriff watching her, a small smile playing at her lips.

 

"What?" She asked as Henry began to clunk noisily down the stairs.

 

"Nothing, I just don't think I've seen you - smile before. It's nice."

 

A faint hush of warmth spread through her cheeks and for once Regina didn't know what to say.

 

Once Henry has his apparent new best friend were gone she readied herself for the day and headed toward the office – or at least she would have liked to but upon pulling onto Main she discovered a long line of frustrated and honking drivers waiting; the main stop light, normally  bright, was dark in its socket.

 

She tapped her nails impatiently on the steering wheel as people tried to figure out whose turn it was to drive through the dead light, stopping and starting and apologizing.

 

" _Idiots!_ "

 

This was beyond ridiculous. Where was that Sheriff? Surely she had dropped her son at school by now. It was not as though they had far to go!

 

A flair of yellow caught her eye in her rearview mirror and she saw that that death trap the sheriff drove parked in front of Granny's Dinner. A ball of fire grew in the pit of her. The thing looked as though it would smell of gasoline and marijuana inside and she would not be at all surprised if she learned that it stalled and backfired. She and Henry had walked this morning, right? Hmm, she would have to be sure she was clear with the sheriff that her son was never and would never be allowed in that joke of an automobile.

She pulled into a parking spot in front of the diner, still grumbling and made her way inside, heels clicking angrily as she went. She threw open the door and a yelp of shock escaped her as a fury of blonde curls ran into her.

 

"Regina!" The sheriff yelped in surprise, steadying herself by grasping the woman's elbows, hard.

 

"That is _Madam Mayor_ or _Mayor Mills_ to you, Ms. Swan! You impertinence is both stunning and baffling! I am beginning to wonder, were you dropped on your head as a child?"

 

"Emma."

 

A twinge of annoyance went through Regina as the sheriff pointedly ignored her jibes. Then she noticed the fatty confectionary in Emma's hand and rolled her eyes, "This is what you're doing? Again?"

 

"Eating breakfast? It's true that I like to do it every day." The Sheriff snarked.

 

"The light on Main is out and instead of doing your job and helping traffic flow, you're here at Granny's stocking chasing morning sugar rush. Just how incompetent are you, Ms. Swan? Is this what I pay you for? Getting fat on grease and sugar?"

 

"I am not fat!" Emma snapped loud enough to startle them both; a hand sliding defiantly down her flat stomach.

 

She hadn't meant that. That had been very rude and besides, the blonde was many things but _fat_ she was not. Regina shook her head to clear it, "Ms. Swan, should I call your deputy to do both his job and yours?"

 

Emma glared, clearly still furious about the getting fat comment. "Really? I'm on my way there now. I already have someone looking into why the light is out this morning. Clearly I'm not incompetent, _you_ hired me remember? And it's Emma. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Emma turned to leave and then thought of something else, "And while we're on the subject, _Madam Mayor_ , what about the streetlights on Main? I turned that report into you a couple of days go. It's pitch black at night and that isn't safe for anyone. So why don't you do your job and take care of that and let me take care of this?"

 

With a huff of indignation Emma turned and started toward the Main street confusion.

 

The Mayor bristled for a minute considering firing the blonde's ass for insubordination but instead she turned and headed back to her car.

 

* * *

 

 

"Come on, mom. She doesn't know _anyone_ here." Henry begged after school as Regina shuffled through the stacks of paper looking for the report The Sheriff had filed about the streetlights. "You _have_ to let her have dinner with us tonight. Come on mom, please?" Henry's eyes widened into hazel globes of pity as he begged, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. "She doesn't have any friends!"

 

"Henry, Sheriff Swan's lack of friends is, I can only assume, entirely her own fault and none of our concern."

 

"Please? She has to be lonely! Pllllease?"

 

She sighed heavily. The last thing she wanted to do was have dinner with the oh-so-irritating Sheriff Swan – Emma – Ms. Swan - but how could she say no to that face. "Fine." She gave in, her lips curling into a snarl of a smile. "Just tonight."

 

* * *

"Are you really telling me what to order now too, Regina?" Emma's eyes were wide and smug over the top of her menu that night. Henry sat flicking through a storybook in his lap blissfully ignoring yet another spat stirring up in front of him. They were grown-ups. They could figure it out.

 

With a slow methodical dignity, Regina closed her menu and intertwined her fingers, "You're right. The fact that you wish to fill your body with high fructose corn syrup, a disgusting amount of sodium and dozens of unnamable chemicals is absolutely none of my business."

 

"You got that right." Emma said with a mocking wink.

 

Did she just _wink_ at her? The audacity of this woman!

 

"However the fact that you can not grasp that I am above your station and that you work for me - and should, therefore, stick to my official moniker is nothing less than concerning. How can I trust you with my child, whom I keep managing to find you with, much less the safety of this town which even that is difficult for you?" Regina felt a ripple of disdain tint the back of her tongue. Had she not earned respect? Was this woman not her subordinate? Why was she so irritating? Why was she refusing to stay in the box she was given? Why was that little smile on her face so cute?

 

Emma shrugged the smile in the corner of her lips still lingering, "Whatever you say."

 

The leggy brunette approached the table with a fond smile for the new sheriff, filling Regina with a flash of annoyance. Did everyone love this woman?

 

"I will have the cheeseburger and fries, extra ketchup please and Madam Mayor will have - " Emma looked at her expectantly, eyes shining and Regina could see the teenage troublemaker still lurking there.

 

Regina rolled her eyes and rattled off her own meal and well as Henry's.

 

"Thanks, Ruby." The sheriff smiled warmly and reached for Regina's menu. Not paying attention, Emma's fingertips accidentally brushed The Mayors. Both women jumped, yelping  at the electric shock that stung their skin with an audible and visual zip.

 

Sucking on the hurt spot on her finger Regina glared at the woman across from her.

 

* * *

 

Much to her displeasure she opened the door the next morning to Emma's crisp smiling face.

 

"Morning." Emma said handing her to go a cup of Granny's coffee and brushing by her and into the house.

 

"Oh, why don't you come in, Ms. Swan." Regina gripped but then held up a palm, cutting Emma off before she began, "Emma."

 

Emma cocked an eyebrow.

 

"I see you're taking my son to school again today. May I ask if you will be driving because I would prefer - "

 

"It's so nice out I thought we would walk." She did a double take at Regina's silence, a thought clearly crossing her mind, "Hey, I guess it's been rude of me not to ask you if it was alright for Henry to spend time with me. It's just for his project, I swear."

 

Regina felt her lips pinch but swallowed the nasty thing she wanted to say, "I understand."

 

"Okay, good. I like the kid."

 

Regina's lip twitched, a smile asking to be shared in response to Emma's own.

 

They stood in silence for a moment before Emma spoke again, "Actually hey, I was thinking, I would like to take him to the park this afternoon. Would that be - okay with you?"

 

"What happened to it being only for the project?" Regina scoffed.

 

Emma shrugged and vulnerability fluttered across her eyes, "He makes me feel less lonely."

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Emma:**

* * *

 

 

At least she knew that after her tedious work day she would have the afternoon with Henry at the park before having to return to her insufferably sanitized and generic hotel room. That lit the morning up a bit.

She couldn't explain why but she just loved being with the kid. She loved watching the way his forehead crinkled when he was deep in thought and the way his hair stood on end when a breeze blew from the opposite direction. He was a Band-Aid on her scab of loneliness and she was thankful to know she had made at least one friend in this town. All right, two. Ruby seemed fascinated with her purely because she wouldn't allow The Mayor to walk all over her. It was as though she thought if she stayed close to Emma she could pick up the skill by osmosis.

At any rate, this morning she had the town drunk in the tank across the room. Emma could get up to give her long-winded lecture on public intoxication, but she knew he would just ignore it. So she ignored him.

 

"Hey David," the man making coffee looked up somewhat surprised. They still hadn't quite gotten to the point of being comfortable with one another. It wasn't that Emma was opposed to the idea; David was charming and very obviously sweet. It was simply that the Deputy came into the station every day and then headed out to the streets to patrol for – well she didn't know what – double parked cars or perhaps ditching teenagers? They hadn't had time to become friends.

Whatever he did, though, today she wanted a trade. "Do you mind if I do the patrols today?"

He seemed surprised for a moment then smiled warmly, "Of course not, Emma. I think it's a good idea. Besides," he gestured to the sleeping man, "Leroy can get kind of colorful when he first wakes up in here. There's no need for you to hear that."

She smiled back, slipping her jacket on before thanking him and heading out the door, pleased with her idea. This should stir up the monotony.

The sun was bright and the day was pleasantly cool as she made her way down Main. She knew there was little to do in a town so small so she strode casually, hands in her pockets, chatting politely with people as they passed and getting to know her surroundings.

Just as the sun was starting to warm into afternoon she turned the corner and groaned. Across the side fence of the local pawnshop was a large aerosol painting of a man doing something Emma wasn't sure she wanted to see him do with his cane.

"Crap." She breathed. She had to do something about this quick before – clacking heels let her know she was too late.

_Damn it!_

"Sheriff Swan."

"Crap." Emma groaned again, turning and facing the enraged face of The Mayor.

"I see no donut. I can only imagine, then, what you were doing this time while our town was being defaced."

_God. What did this woman expect from her?_

"Well, I'm going to guess it was teenagers, probably that little gang I keep hearing about. So I'm going to assume I was probably asleep in bed - just like you were, Regina."

_"Madam Mayor."_

"Wait, what are you even doing here?"

"Well when Mr. Gold got no response from _you_ he decided to call me."

"Called you?" She dug out her phone to see if she had missed any calls from David at the station and groaned, of course, it was dead. Damn, she normally charged it at the station but she hadn't stayed there long enough today. How could she have been so stupid?

Defensively she squared her shoulders and her jaw, "My phone died, but I'm here now so you can go back to work."

"Can I? I'm not so sure. I don't know if I have faith that you can handle this. Are you sure you can handle this, Ms. Swan? Because I, for one, am not completely convinced."

"Yes." She answered lamely. Right now she had no room to be rude to Regina.

"Then do your job!" Regina barked aggressively and with a flash of liquid chocolate eyes, she spun on her heels clicking off the opposite direction.

"Damn it!" She kicked the fence in frustration and yelped, " _Damn it!_ " as her toe throbbed. Emma glared, watching the pantyhose covered legs turn the corner.

After a brief conversation with Mr. Gold she returned to the station, sending David out to do his usual job.

She was frustrated. She was tired of _Madam Mayor_ \- her freaking majesty - tearing into her. She didn't know what the hell her problem was half the time but she was really getting tired of it. So when clicking heels sounded in the hallway that afternoon she just let her head drop into the desk with an exasperated groan.

"What now?"

The brunette produced a piece of paper from her bag and held it out for Emma, staring expectantly.

Emma looked back at the cold face and couldn't help but to picture the few smiles she had seen that were in direct contrast. It was amazing how this powerhouse of a woman could be so beautiful when she smiled; her eyes crackling, the scar across her top lip dimpling and yet so forbidding others. For a moment, she couldn't help but to wonder what it would be like to force one of those smiles. She wondered what it would be like to - "What's this?"

"It's a probation citing for the boys who did the graffiti."

"But we aren't sure of which boys that would be yet." She looked down at the list and scoffed, "Okay you can't just give probation to every boy in the gang."

"Ms. Swan," Regina steepled her fingers on the corner of the desk, leaning in threateningly, "I don't need to know which one of them did it because I know that _all_ of them did it."

"Regina, you don't-"

"If you think that you know this town or the people in it better than I do then you are sorely mistaken."

They had fought all afternoon.

They had fought so long that by the time Regina had stomped out of the office to pick Henry up from school Emma needed a nap.

* * *

 

It was clear that Regina had tried to convince her son not to go to the park with Emma that afternoon - and had lost utterly and completely.

Her eyes were flashing like electric charges when Regina had ever so grudgingly handed her son over and Emma knew if she took one step out of line, even once, Regina would take her head off with one bite.

 

"Are you guys fighting again?" Henry had asked wisely, but both women dropped their eyes and smiled warmly, insisting "nope" and "no way kid."

 

Emma had then spent another few hours running after Henry playing tag and make-believe that they were knights on horseback until it was dinnertime. She had enjoyed herself and was sad to see the boy go - only the moment his evil eyed mother  was insight he began to insist that Emma needed to join them for dinner yet again.

Emma had tried to refuse. Regina had tried to insist but apparently neither had the power to deny those big beautiful eyes and they caved.

Dinner was the same as the night before. Slight quips. Heavy glares. Suggestions of inferiority.

When they stepped outside of the diner Emma, blood boiling from the day's frustrations couldn't help but to look around and the darkened town street.

"Huh," she muttered knowing she was about to get a rise out of the woman, "dark out here. And yet this mayor person swears I'm the one who is bad at their job."

Regina's eyes flashed, "Ms. Swan if you think-"

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets and with a wink and Henry excused herself and headed down the street, feeling the furious eyes burning into her back.

Emma chuckled, that had been fun.

 

* * *

 

When her phone rang  _Regina Mills_ at precisely 1:52 in the A.M. Emma had just groaned. She had spent all day fighting with this damned woman. What could she possibly want now? More graffiti? Had Archie's dog gotten out? Perhaps Leroy was passed out under the clock tower again. Whatever it was, she resented being woken.

"Sheriff Swan."

"Emma?" The use of her name woke Emma fully.

"Regina? What's wrong? Is it Henry?"

"There's a woman in my house."

"What?" She jumped up, already pulling her jeans and tank top on.

"There's a woman here. Hurry up!"

Tripping and stumbling over her loose shoes she grabbed her badge, crashing into the door frame in her in her effort to tie the shoe, secure her gun and badge and run out the door all at once.

When she arrived at the Mills mansion Regina and a groggy looking Henry were huddled on the porch. Regina was clearly panic-stricken. She had never seen the mayor like this, her guards down, her eyes wide in fright. Suddenly, with all of the aggression gone Emma realized _she was beautiful._ Not the kind of beautiful you see on the silver screen or in magazines but a true, deeply womanly beauty.

She was so surprised that she tripped on her way up the stairs and had to take a moment to regain her balance.

 

"Where is she?" Emma horse whispered, her gun nestled tightly between her palms.

"Henry, why don't you go wait in the car, sweetie?" Regina said shakily. He nodded grudgingly and climbed into the safety of the car, where he immediately passed out against the window, mouth open and fogging the glass.

"I don't know, I don't know where she is." Regina cried in a hoarse whisper.

Emma nodded quickly and with a reassuring brush of her hand against Regina's bare forearm, barely noticing the shock with all of the adrenaline flowing through her; she entered the house.

 

Slowly she made her way through darkened rooms, gun upright and ready to do its job if it was needed.

She cleared one room – two – three without consequence.

Slowly she made her way into Regina's bedroom and let out a high pitched and highly uncharacteristic yelp as someone appeared at her elbow. Swirling around she let out an authoritative "FREEZE" before double over and laughing at herself and feeling foolish. To her right stood a full length innately carved mirror. It had been her own reflection that had startled her. "Way to go, Swan."

Promising not to tell Regina about that she slowly cleared that room and then the rest before making her way back to the porch.

It was only then that she noticed Regina was only dressed in a small silk baby blue nightgown. She cleared her throat awkwardly and did her best not to see the way Regina's pert and clearly cold nipples grazed the thin cloth. "There's uh, no one in there."

 

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She didn't understand how this was possible. "Well look again!"

Emma shrugged, "I can if you would like but I promise you I looked thoroughly."

"I know what I saw." She could still picture rolling over and seeing someone at the foot of her bed. At first she had sleepily mumbled, thinking it was Henry but then, as her mind began to wake, she saw that though she couldn't see the face it was clearly _much_ taller and guessing from the billowing at the hips the person was in a dress and, therefore, a woman. Confusion gripped her first as her sleep addled brain swore for a millisecond that her mother stood there, ready to yell at her for whatever she had done wrong that day. That worry had gripped her enough to wake her fully.

She hadn't spared a moment. Thinking of Henry and his safety she jumped out of bed but by the time she looked back the woman was gone. Where had she gone?

She had ushered Henry out of bed and through the front door, all but carrying her too heavy to be carried son down the stairs.

That's what you are supposed to do, right? Her mind had whined at her unable to remember if you simply were supposed to hide when someone was in the house or do your best to escape it. She was sure she had read an article on which was more proficient once.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Of course I'm sure, I'm not an idiot." She growled, wrapping her arms around her cold middle and wondering if a good slap would help this stupid girl.

Emma shrugged and sympathetically put a soft hand on her bicep, "Look, why don't we get Henry back up to his bed and you can tell me what happened?"

Regina considered throwing the hand off of her but the warmth and strength of it were oddly soothing. For a moment she wanted those strong arms to envelop her again so the nervous shaking would stop. But she was the mayor. She didn't _hug_.

Instead, she cleared her throat assertively insisted that The Sheriff do another sweep before she gathered her son back into his bed.

She poured herself a long glass of red wine after she made her way back to the study where Emma was waiting, clicking her fireplace on and lighting a fire.

"Do you mind?"

She just shook her head and offered a glass to The Sheriff. Emma took it with a grateful nod.

Regina stood before the fire for a moment, her hands still shaking before defensively saying again, "I know what I saw." She would be damned if this girl was going to make her believe she was crazy. Her mind was sound and she was sure.

"Look, Regina, I'm not saying that you didn't see someone. I'm just saying isn't there a chance at all that you were having a dream? You said your door was still locked from the inside when you came out."

"No, Ms. Swan there isn't a chance that I was dreaming."

"Regina I just mean - "

"I know what I saw! I woke up and there was a woman at the foot of my bed." To her horror, her eyes welled with frustrated and strained tears.

 

Emma relented asking for details but Regina only fidgeted, toying with the ring on her finger. She didn't have many details. It had been dark. When she had given all she knew Emma nodded tightly.

"I don't know if there is much I can do about this but I will –"

 

"You will do something, Ms. Swan! My son sleeps in this house and I will be damned if he is not going to be safe at night. As a matter of fact," Regina remembered the bone she had to pick with this woman.

 

"I was going to say," Emma growled back cutting Regina off, "that I will keep an eye out for the rest of tonight and we will see."

 

"As a matter of fact," Regina bit over her, "I would like to have a word with you about my son and his protection when he is with you. He came back from the park today bleeding. _Bleeding_ , Ms. Swan."

 

Emma had the audacity to look baffled, her emerald eyes huge behind her fluttering lashes, "The kid fell and scraped his knee."

"Exactly. If I can not count on you to keep him safe then he will not be allowed to be with you without some kind of supervision."

"This is ridiculous, Regina! He scraped his knee when we were playing. It happens to everyone!"

"Don't you dare call me ridiculous." Regina was yelling now despite her sleeping boy, her fright of the evening, her many hours of fighting with the blonde that day was wearing on her. "What is ridiculous is-"

Regina jumped a bit when suddenly the blonde flew to her feet coming perhaps a bit too close for Regina's comfort level.

"That's it! I'm so fucking sick of this!" She bellowed in a hoarse whisper, doing her best to not wake Henry while letting this woman know exactly how she felt, "That's it! What is your problem, Regina?"

"I'm sorry?" Fury rippled through Regina as she crossed her arms, speaking in a deadpan.

"It's always something with you. How is it possible that I displease you this much? You don't even know me! You can't say I'm bad at my job because you've never given me the chance to _do it_ without interfering. You need to back the hell off and remove the stick from your prim little ass!"

Loathing bubbled up hot and sticky in Regina's chest. Reflexively, she gripped the blonde's jaw, palming her chin and leaning in for the kill, "Excuse me, Ms. Swan?" She wasn't sure what had made her do it but suddenly she needed to get her hands on the Sheriff in some way. She couldn't choke the life out of her so instead she clutched her.

The women stood silently, the air around them fire as Regina waited for the blonde to be stupid enough to make her next move so she could go for the kill.

And then she was on her. Her lips crashing into the blondes, her tongue desperately seeking entrance through the gate Emma had already opened to her.

If Regina's mind hadn't been so instantaneously muddled the moment their lips had touched she would have been surprised at what she had done; at her own lack of control. It was true that love and hate often shared the same bed until this moment Regina would not have said she felt any attraction to the beautiful blonde - at all. She was annoying, insufferable even.

She let out a small grunt and pushed, her hand clenching harder, nails digging into the soft think as they stumbled backward. Regina slammed her, hard enough to force a groan out of the blonde's throat, to the wall; picture frames wobbling haphazardly.

With a shudder, Regina felt that groan everywhere before it trickled down into a pool, throbbing ball between her legs. A wave of want flowed through her, grasping at her strings and making her dance.

With a grunt, she pulled and slammed her into the wall again, her tongue throbbing greedily seeking inside of Emma's mouth and reveling in the delicious sensation of her tongue wrapping around her own.

Hands wrapped constricting around the small of her back and her head, nails digging, hair ripping as the blonde pulled her tighter against her, their hips rocking together, almost straining.

With a gasp, the lips pulled away from hers, snipping and biting along her jawline and down her throat. Her groan intertwined with Emma's as itching hands found the backs of her thighs and quickly crept up to grab handfuls of Regina's softly round ass.

Regina was all too aware that she had nothing on under the thin strip of silk. She had been asleep in her own bed, after all.

Emma chuckled, lightly, breathlessly, "So this is what your problem has been" then whimpered as Regina harshly sank her teeth into the soft flesh of her neck.

Grabbing her face again Regina locked eyes with the blonde, her lip curled as she snarled, venom dripping from every sultry word "Shut up."

Then they flew stumbling and twisting backward as Emma thrust her against the desk. Regina crawling quickly on top of it willingly and wrapping her long legs around Emma's waist, crossing her ankles behind her, successfully trapping the woman against her body. She whimpered softly as the soft bulge of Emma's zipper softly rubbed against the spot where all sensation seemed to be pulling.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She grinned as she watched the brunettes plump lips part slightly in surprise as Emma rocked a bit, allowing her jeans to do the work for her. Then hands were on her clutching; fumbling with her tank top ripping it over her head and her bra was tossed quickly across the room.

Regina took a moment to appreciate the view before softly, almost hesitantly wrapping her lips around of her straining, heaving nipples, swirling chocolate eyes locked on emerald. In a moment Regina was bare, her nightdress lying forgotten a few feet away and the breath was knocked from Emma's throat all over again.

The woman's full rounded breast, taut stomach and curvaceous thighs – they were almost too much – too arousing for her.

Emma sank into the brunette softly touching and caressing the woman until she could feel her shaking, shuddering under her hands, writhing for more. Without any strain, she lifted the woman, a moan filling her ear as she did and pressed her tightly against the wall again, holding one leg tightly around her, letting Regina balanced her on the other. She softly kissed and sucked at the woman's breast, chest and neck, her hands sweeping over every available inch of skin until shuddering the woman clutched her neck softly panted in need, " _Emma._ " Only then did Emma slowly tantalizingly run her hand down the woman's body and enfolded her fingers in the soft wetness there, marveling at how a woman so cold and hard could feel so warm and inviting.

Again they shared a groan as she touched just where they needed.

" _Yes._ "

Slowly Emma thrust inside and reveled in the loud bang as The Mayors' head thrust backward and into the wall. She hesitated for a second before she rolled her body against her and, bang, Regina's head was thrown back again. Chuckling she held Regina's head against her throat and the two picked up a pace, Regina's back and ass beating out their rhythm on the wall.

Curled tightly into the woman she felt her begin to shake and tighten around her fingers.

Regina shook.

Emma shook.

Pressed against the wall the women would have sworn that the walls, the ground, the very air around them shook as finally with a guttural snarl Regina's orgasm ripped through them, her head slamming back against the wall for a final time as wave after wave washed over them.

Softly Emma kissed the beautiful pale olive skin of Regina's face and lips as slowly her chocolate eyes opened and snagged hers.

Emma pressed her forehead to hers, nose to nose as they shared a smile before wordlessly Regina lead her by the hand down the hall and into her bedroom where she could release herself on Emma.

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Emma woke with a start, a few hours later to find the bed beside her cold and empty. Stretching her somewhat sore muscles, she looked around and found Regina by the dresser already in a tight black pencil skirt and a deep grey silk shirt, double checking her makeup and perfectly quaffed hair in the mirror.

"Morning." She said with a smile, standing and stretching, unaware of Regina's eyes quickly flicking to her naked frame and back to the mirror. Softly she touched the small of the woman's back, planning on leaning in for a kiss but she felt the woman stiffen under her fingers. Emma hesitated, "How are you feeling?"

Regina cleared her throat; a soft blush touching her cheeks as Emma's naked frame came within touching distance of her, "I have a headache" she said dryly and turned to put on her earrings.

Disappointment flooded through Emma. "Oh. I see." She had thought they would be on better terms after last night perhaps even – but no, she could see that look in her eyes. It was the same look Emma had found on all of the girls she had experimented with in high school and the few women she had brought home from frat bars in her college days; that mix of shame and embarrassment.

She pulled away, bruised and pulled her clothes from the pile Regina had brought up for her, understanding the unspoken rejection. As she ripped her jacket on over her tank top indignation fluttered through her chest.

She turned to go but paused, trying to catch Regina's eye.

She couldn't.

"You know," she finally cried arms outstretched in anger, "next time you need to find solace in someone, make sure it's not me!" and with the slam of the door she was gone.

She walked at a brisk pace to the station, grumbling and swearing under her breath as she went, doing her best not to remember the look on Regina's face as she rocked with pleasure - pleasure given by Emma. She stopped quickly at Granny's to get her usual morning meal and then stomped into the station.

"Whoa!" David cried as she slammed through the door and down the hallway. "Everything all right?"

She sighed and apologized, "Rough night."

"What happened?"

She pulled her donut out of the bag and shoveled half of it into her mouth before responding, "Um, Regina thought she had an intruder."

"Oh yeah?" He chuckled, "I bet Regina in the middle of the night was quite a pleasure."

Emma rolled her eyes.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

It had been a mistake, surely. She swore to herself as she showered that morning, cursing her inability to control herself. When she stepped from the shower she dried her hair, taking extra time to be sure her hair was especially perfect before she pulled on her favorite outfit, the skirt that hugged her in all of the right ways and the blouse that flowed off of her.

It wasn't that she was doing it for Emma, still asleep - naked - in her bed, of course not. She just – she cleared her throat as she pulled on her heels and began her makeup – _anyway_.

She jumped when Emma rolled over, groaning a little in her sleep. One soft pink breast fell from under the covers and Regina felt a hot yet prickly flush goose across her skin.

Yes, this had been a mistake.

She couldn't stand this woman. What had she been thinking? She did her best to avert her eyes as the woman slowly woke.

"Morning." She said in a hazy sensual voice said from behind her. Regina looked back and clutched the side of the dresser. Emma was standing on her tiptoes her whole body in a stretch, her legs and thighs twisting into soft valleys of muscle, her stomach and arms tight and strong. Her small breasts were round, pointing at her in a silent accusation while the soft mound of hair between her legs looked warm and inviting. Regina was sure if she wasn't careful she might swoon.

She tensed as the woman softly touched her back and she could feel the reaction mirrored in Emma.

She cleared her throat, unsure of where to look.

"How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache."

Emma's eyebrow shot up for a moment, probably remembering Regina's head slamming into the wall repeatedly through the night. Then concern flicked and her face settled, clarity filling her eyes. Regina wasn't sure if the look filled her own chest with relief or gloom.

"Oh. I see."

Emma stood beside her for a moment seemingly unsure of what to do before she set to the task of dressing.

Regina could tell the woman was desperately seeking her eyes but she just couldn't give them to her. She needed Emma to leave and Emma wouldn't do that if they started a conversation.

Emma dressed and turned, "You know, next time you need to find solace in someone, make sure it's not me." She slammed the door, Regina knew, effectively waking her son.

She waited, frozen until she heard the slam of the front door before falling with a huff onto the bed. It was as if a tie that had formed between the women in the night had suddenly been severed by the slamming door and for just a moment Regina felt overwhelmingly lonely.

Guilt pooled in her stomach as she noticed that her sheets smelled of the blonde.

She knew she had just wordlessly rejected Emma and she was sorry for it but this simply how it would have to be.

Yes, Henry loved the woman and yes, the night before had been wildly exciting and it was true somehow her room felt cold and empty now without her presence but it just couldn't happen. Not with her - not with anyone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She wasn't sure what she had expected to find when she entered the mayor's office, shoulders squared and guard up but whatever her imagination could have developed, Regina sitting behind her desk with her head ducked almost to her knees inside her wastebasket was - not it.  
Emma's skin crawled as she woman heaved again, brunette tresses falling over the rim of the plastic bin.  
"Um, are you all right, Madam Mayor?" It had been strictly back to Madam Mayor and Ms. Swan over the past few weeks of barely civil discord between them.  
Regina's head hung limply for a moment, hidden before she heaved again in answer.  
Emma went around the desk but instead of soothingly rubbing the woman's back or perhaps pulling the hair out of her sweaty face as she would have done for pretty much anyone else she awkwardly pat twice, unsure if even that contact would be allowed.  
Regina moaned and Emma recoiled a few steps, clearing her throat. She had come into the office reared up by the latest bitchy email. She was ready for the snap fight she knew she and Regina would fall into the moment they were in one another's presence. That had been the way of it since their tryst three weeks prior. Frankly Emma didn't mind the hostility or the fighting; it helped to vent some of the anger she felt toward her but watching the woman now, the angry heat deflated from her bones like a releasing balloon.  
"Madam Mayor, you should go home. Clearly you're sick."  
"I can't go home." Regina groaned, "I'm the god-damned mayor."  
She finally sat up and Emma was able to see her sticky and pale face. The woman's eyes were momentarily unfocused and Emma stepped forward alarmed, "Uh, ma'am?"  
Regina shook her head, "Just a little dizzy, that's all."  
"Throwing up will do that to you." She mumbled as she quickly retrieved a paper cup of water from the cooler next to the door and turned slightly so Regina could clear her mouth in a semblance of privacy.  
"Excuse me, Madam Mayor but it seems like you're really si–"  
Regina sniffed the air, her face contorting and making Emma stop in her tracks, "What?"  
"What is that _smell_?"  
"Um, what?"  
"That smell."  
Emma looked down at the bag she was holding. It was her favorite lunch a grilled cheese from Granny's. She sniffed herself tentatively, no. She sniffed the bag but still could smell nothing. "Is it this?"  
The moment the bag crossed the table Regina's head was buried deeply in the basket again as she retched.  
"Okay!" Emma cried, yanking it back and dropping it outside of the office door, "I guess so."  
She waited patiently for Regina to finish and clean herself up, struggling with her unwilling concern. Clearly this woman had some type of bug and not only did she not want to catch it, she wasn't sure she even wanted to see it.  
"I had Granny's lasagna for lunch yesterday. Clearly it had been out of the freezer too long because I have been nauseous ever since." She was busy tucking her hair back into proper place and froze, a thought occurring to her, "What can I do for you, Ms. Swan?"  
"Right. Um, are you sure you're all right?"  
"Ms. Swan." The typical regal distaste had crept back into her voice so Emma knew she was just fine.  
"Okay, okay. Here." She handed her a folder of paper. She had planned to fight but perhaps she would just drop this and move on. "Felix started his community service today for the graffiti on Gold's shop. I need you to sign it."  
"Right." She signed it quickly and handed it back.  
"How's Henry?" She hadn't seen the kid in almost two weeks and she missed his chubby little face.  
"Is there anything else, Ms. Swan?"  
Emma rolled her eyes, "Right, sorry to disturb you." With a small sardonic salute from the eyebrow, she ducked from the room, " _Madam Mayor_."

Ugh, it irked her every time she had to deal with that woman these days.  
Okay, so they had sex.  
Whatever.  
No big deal.  
Emma had not asked Regina for anything. Emma had been the one to get burned. What was Regina's problem? Just freakin' put it behind them but no; Regina had to act as though Emma was a skittering bug that needed to be squashed.  
God, she couldn't stand her! Thank god she _hadn't_ wanted anything more from her. They would kill one another if they tried to date...or...um, whatever. The woman was fucking toxic.  
Worry flashed through her mind again when she thought of the brunette hunched into her trashcan. Ugh! She pushed the thought away. Everyone got stomach bugs and everyone got food poisoning. No need to worry about her - or Henry.  
Come on, Swan. Don't be stupid.

She had talked herself into that. No need to worry.  
So she wasn't sure what to think when her phone rang that evening for the second time with the name _Regina Mills_. No doubt she had forgotten to cross a T or dot an I somewhere, "Madam Mayor?"  
"No, it's meee."  
A wide grin spread across Emma's face, "Hey kid! How are you?"  
"I'm good. Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

Henry was waiting for her just inside of the door when she showed up at the mansion. Taking him into a bear hug she swore they needed to never go this long without seeing one another again.  
"So what's up with your mom?"  
Henry grinned and taking her hand tightly and pulled her inside, shushing her when her feet stumbled.  
On the couch Regina sat, her pea coat still buttoned over her work clothes, briefcase still in her hand, head rolled back onto the couch -snoring - hard, open mouthed.  
"So uh..."  
"She came home from work and said she needed to sit down for a minute" he explained, "and then that happened."  
Emma covered her mouth with her hand to quiet her laughter.  
Asleep like that Regina looked less like the evil wench she had been fighting with for three weeks and more like the woman she had met upstairs in Regina's bedroom; less impenetrable and more...real. "Yeah kid, I think your mom is sick. I saw her today and she didn't look so great. Let's go and let her get some sleep."  
He nodded his eyebrows stitched together. "Yeah, she's been really tired lately too. Can we bring her some soup?"  
Emma grinned, "Absolutely. Come on."  
She jotted a quick note explaining where Henry was just in case the sleeping woman woke and placed it on the table before her so there was no way she would miss it. Taking Henry's hand they were about to go when he pulled back, "Wait."  
Quietly he snuck back to his mom and softly he pulled off her shoes and set her briefcase on the table. Covering her with a light blanket he kissed her cheek and headed back to Emma.  
Emma's heart exploded as she watched the child show such an act of love for his mother. It was so sweet that it physically hurt. Regina might be a lot of things but she had raised an amazing boy.  
"What?" He asked the gooey-eyed woman.  
She smiled and put his arm around his shoulder, squeezing tightly, "Nothin'. I just like you."  
He grinned.

Henry and Emma had decided on take-out and sat with their dinner on Emma's hotel room bed, lounging with cartoons for the largest chunk of the evening. Emma nodded along as Henry explained the complexities of the hero versus the villain and why the villain, though evil, should be pitied and loved.  
The kid had a huge heart.  
"Emma?" Henry turned to her suddenly, looking confused.  
"What's up?"  
"Why do you live here?"  
"What?" She wasn't sure she knew what he was getting at.  
"This is a hotel and people don't live in hotels. They only stay at them until they can go home. Are you still staying here because your don't plan on staying?"  
"No, Henry. I plan on staying. I like it here."  
"Then why? Are you waiting until you can go home?"  
Emma laughed bitterly, how do you explain to a child who was raised by a steady and though aggravating, also fiercely loving, mother in a _huge_ home in the heart of the town - that not everyone had a home. "No. The thing is, Henry, there's nowhere else for me to go. I think Storybrooke is the first city I've ever been in that has no apartments available to rent."  
Henry looked thoughtful at this and Emma worried that she had created more questions then she had answered.

They were just sharing the huge cookie they had gotten to split for dessert when a brisk knock sounded on the door.  
"Ten bucks says that's your mom, kid."  
Sure enough, she opened the door to an all but purple Regina who instantly brushed past her and into the room, "Won't you come in then?" Emma grumbled, really wishing this wasn't going to be a fight. She had just been trying to help. The kid had to eat, right?  
"Ms. Swan, tell me, what gives you the right to take a child from his home _without_ the permission of his mother?"  
"Hey now," Emma said her hands help up in surrender, "the kid called me."  
"Henry?"  
"Yeah mom," he chirruped up shoving the rest of his cookie into his mouth, "You were asleep."  
"Yeah, you were passed out on the couch snoring." Emma's lip twitched and Regina's eyelashes fluttered, "So I took him to get dinner. I figured after this afternoon you could use the sleep."  
Regina scowled and Emma could see that as much as she wanted to argue, there was no room for it. Lips tight she nodded a bit, "Thank you. Okay come on Henry, it's almost your bedtime."  
Henry slumped a bit but complied obediently, "Bye Emma."  
She chuckled but hugged him tightly, lifting him off the ground so he squealed and flailed for a moment. Without another word, Regina swept from the room, closing the door firmly behind them.  
Emma found she was grumbling to herself again as she watched the door click closed. In one day she had seen that woman vomit and open-mouthed snore; if that didn't freaking force her to soften toward her then apparently nothing would.

**Regina:**

* * *

 

After another night of Henry having dinner with Emma because she fell asleep as soon as she was home from work - and one more of her _willingly_ giving her son to the woman because all food smells made her vomit; she found herself on the uncomfortable paper sheet in the office of Doc Smalls. She had been weighed, her vitals taken and she had answered all of the nurses' questions. All the formalities were covered and she was ready to explain her symptoms so she could put them resolutely behind her. She was the mayor and a single mother; she did not have time to be sick.  
When Doc entered the room she sat, legs crossed, internally insisting that the smell of his cologne was _not_ going to make her sick again. She was done being sick that day.  
"Well Ms. Mills, I could do a physical on you but I'm afraid there would be no point."  
"What?" Regina was stopped in her tracks, "What does that mean? Is there something going around?"  
"Oh," he said with a knowing chuckle, "you could say that, yes. You're pregnant."  
Regina stared for a moment blankly and then laughed, loudly, understanding that he was teasing her. She wasn't much in the mood to be teased, but he really had tricked her had gotten her for just a moment and she had to give him credit.  
"I'm glad to see you're pleased with the news." He beamed and the laughter dried in her throat.  
"Wait. What?"  
"I'm glad to see you're happy with the news! Now I would recommend we schedule you for your first appointment with the obs - "  
"Oh, I thought you were joking. No, there must be a mistake. You must have switched the labels or something. Please check again."  
"Ms. Mills, I assure you –"  
"Check again." She barked, "I'm not pregnant."  
Not willing to put up a fight Doc gave The Mayor a fresh cup and waited as she filled it. Then they sat together and watched the white strip on the side of the cup slowly turn blue. "Yup. You're pregnant."  
Regina scoffed, "This is ridiculous. I'm telling you there is no way I could be pregnant. You must be reading it wrong or perhaps your cups are tainted."  
"Ms. Mills, I assure you these tests are rarely wrong - "  
"No, I assure you, doctor. There is no way. I haven't been with a man in –" She hesitated, no need to share that level of detail "No. What else could it be?"  
He stumbled a little as she spoke, "Um, well, I suppose your symptoms could relate to the common flu but the test. Let me ask you, Ms. Mills, when was the date of your last menstrual cycle? The nurse noted it is a bit late."  
"Yes, sometimes it happens."  
"Ms. Mills - "  
This was beyond ridiculous and she wasn't going to sit and listen to this. There was another doctor in this town. Gathering her bag she tilted her head in his direction, "I don't have time to waste on fools. Have a good day."  
Twenty-four hours later the woman was sitting on yet another uncomfortable paper sheet in the highly recommended Dr. Whale's office, wondering why she hadn't just come here in the first place.  
Once again she had been weighed, questioned, noted on all official forms and her cup had been filled. When Dr. Whale entered the room his manner was brisk and to the point, "I spoke to your last physician Dr. Small, Regina and I understand your concerns. Take this piece of paper down the hall and I will let you know in a few days."  
"Excuse me?"  
He repeated himself without batting an eye and shaken Regina had no choice but to comply. Down the hall a kind looking woman took the piece of paper and sat her down in the seat wrapped her arm in a tourniquet and proceeded to take a vial of blood.  
"Ow!" Regina bellowed, shooting the nurse with a hard glare before being unceremoniously kicked out.  
Feathers ruffled Regina returned home, unsure how to respond to the last twenty-four hours of her life.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Regina:**

* * *

 

"Welp Regina, I have your results." Dr. Whale droned the following evening as if this news was the very least interesting thing in a day of uninteresting things.

"My results? My results for what?" She asked dryly. "I have no idea what you took my blood f _or_ , you vampire."

"Riiight, well I have your results here and you, Madam Mayor, and are irrefutably pregnant."

She scoffed, " _This again_ , I'm telling you - "

"Regina, I have in my hand both urine and blood test stating that without a doubt you are pregnant. It would appear you are roughly four weeks along."

"Dr. Whale, really."

"Regina, these blood tests are ninety-nine percent accurate. There can be no arguing with the results."

Regina paled, ninety–nine percent accurate but – there was just no way. “Well, ninety-nine is not one hundred percent. _Clearly_  I am within that one percent.”

"Forgive me, Ma'am, but in the world of medicine ninety-nine percent is pretty much _is_  one hundred percent."

She tried arguing with the esteemed doctor but he was immovable on whether or not there was another possibly. He simply kept repeating, ‘you are pregnant’ until she wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him. In the end, she hung up furiously swearing about the quack doctors in this town.

She paced back and forth in the living room as she thought. _What the hell was happening_?

Two different doctors?

Four weeks ago. What had happened four weeks ago? Her mind fell, as it did so often of The Sheriff's face beneath hers tangled in the ecstasy Regina was delivering and she shivered. Right, four weeks ago had been about that night.

She laughed once – well that sure as hell wasn't going to get her pregnant.

She racked her brain through the weeks surrounding that event searching for a blank spot in time or perhaps a time when she had drunk a bit too much but found nothing. She was sure she had been with no one and more importantly no one had been with her, with or without her permission.

Why was she even considering this? She _knew_  she hadn’t been with anyone.

No. This wasn't possible.

She had a brainwave and slipped in front of her computer typing into the search bar 'conditions that can cause false positive pregnancy tests'. Her screen was instantly splattered with information:

Pituitary Disorders

Ovarian cysts

_Cancer!_

Panic filled her as the conditions continued to rise in significance until pacing, face tear-stained, she was sure she was on death's door.

* * *

 

Over the next five weeks she traveled back and forth between Doc Small and Dr. Whale being poked and scanned for everything imaginable. None of the tests, excluding the numerous at home and in the office pregnancy tests, came up positive. The men, kind at first became increasingly aggravated as they swore that she was simply going to have a baby.

"Wouldn't I know?" She finally bellowed at Doc Small one afternoon, "Wouldn't I know if I had been with a man recently? The last time I was with a man Henry was a very small boy! There is no way!"

He smiled slightly and said the same things he said every time Regina insisted, "Is there no possibility of, oh I don’t know, a night in a bar where someone could have slipped something into your drink or – something along those lines?" She knew he meant was there any chance that she had gotten drunk and simply forgotten about a man. Each time he had insinuated something of the kind she had stormed out of the office in a rage that usually lasted the entire day.

"NO!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs.

"All right, Madam Mayor, then please, what are your symptoms?"

"Um, I don't know." She hadn't allowed him to get this far before. "My entire body hurts most days. I can't stay awake. I find myself falling asleep everywhere. Yesterday I was sweeping my living room and Henry had to wake me up. Yes, I was asleep on my feet! Also, I'm nauseous most of the time, oh and I can smell everything and trust me, most smells simply lead to being more nauseous."

The small man clapped his hands as if he had just made a very obvious point, "All signs of pregnancy."

Now she did storm out of the office.

A week later though, she had to admit she _felt_ different. She couldn't explain how, not until, standing in front of her full sized mirror in her underwear she could no longer deny the tiny bump that was beginning to form, so small that only a very familiar eye would see it but there is was, hard as a rock.

_This just wasn't fucking possible._

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

"Regina, yes! I know!" Ruby gushed as Emma entered the diner. Her ears perked at the name of the woman she had been if she was honest, desperately worried about as of late. Regina had been distracted and sick for weeks now, not to mention an unholy terror to be around. Emma, like most of the townspeople, had been doing her best to keep her eyes averted and stay the hell out of her way. Sometimes it worked but other times with was like Emma was a Regina magnet, making the woman appear out of nowhere ready to attack.

"What about Regina?" Emma asked, doing her best nonchalant swagger into a chair.

Both Ruby and Billy looked around for anyone who might overhear before leaning their heads in like gossiping school children. "You haven't heard?" Ruby asked with a wicked waggle of her eyebrows.

"Heard what?" She laughed. Over the past month she had spent more and more time with Ruby thankful for her vivacious ways and the entertainment they brought.

"Regina is _pregnant_."

Emma's mouth dropped open, struck dumb, "What?"

"And she won't tell _anyone_  who the father is. Just says it's no one's business."

" _What?_ "

"I know!" If Emma hadn't felt as though her world was crashing around her she would have found Ruby's glittering eyes entertaining. "I bet it's someone in town."

Emma just nodded a bit.

So this is why Regina had rejected her all of those weeks ago.

If she was pregnant; that probably meant that it was rarely a woman who warmed her sheets at night – probably. Perhaps she had even been ashamed of what they had done. Maybe she had already been pregnant.

Or perhaps this was just Emma’s wounded side trying to come up with a reason.

For a moment she saw an image in her head of Regina round with new life, maternally glowing and Emma choked on her water. Disconcerted by her reaction she slid off the stool - that was not going to be something she allowed herself to find enticing - no matter how much Emma yearned for a family and a beautiful woman who could give it to her.

"Emma, are you all right?" Ruby called after her.

"Huh? Uh, yeah not hungry. I'll uh, I'll see you later."

 

She wandered for a while unsure of where she was going. She just walked aimlessly until she spotted the black Benz in the parking lot of the local park. From a distance, she could see Henry on a swing talking animatedly with Mary Margaret, his teacher, as he flew back and forth through the air. She actually had a chance to spend any time with him since Regina keeping him on a much tighter then usual leash. Unsure of why, perhaps she was just a masochist; she wanted to fill the vacant spot next to his mother on the bench.

Sliding in causally she noted what Regina was reading; an expensive looking version of ‘What To Expect When You're Expecting’. Emma nodded her greeting, which Regina only briefly acknowledged before going back to her book, her free hand resting affectionately on her still flat belly.

"So it's true, huh?"

Regina ignored her.

"Congratulations."

Regina's eyes flickered toward her and then away again.

"I have to say, I'm surprised. How far along are you?"

Regina closed her book with a huff, "Did you need something, sheriff?”

Emma shrugged, watching Henry play, "Just curious."

"I'm ten weeks. Why?"

Now that she had the answer she knew this is what she had wanted to know; what had propelled her into the seat next to Regina. "Ten weeks, huh?" So it was either right before or right after –

"Emma!" She had only a moment's notice before Henry had launched himself at her, hugging her tightly, "Where have you been?"

"Where have I been? Where have you been?" She joked, hugging him tightly.

"Did you hear?" He all but bounced in her lap, "I'm going to be a big brother!"

"I did! Congratulations! Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" He grinned his biggest Henry grin before pelting back to the jungle gym.

Emma cleared her throat; uncomfortably waiting for Regina to put down the book. She waited a minute or two, but Regina didn't so she sighed, pushing it down herself, "Okay you don't want to talk to me, that's fine but listen if you need anything please let me know." Regina went to protest but Emma stopped her, "You and Henry have been on my mind a lot lately. You're all alone in that huge house and I know there is no one for you to call if you need help. And now that I know you're pregnant I will probably just worry more. So just – call me, okay?"

Regina's eyes narrowed perhaps looking for some type of jab, which would have been their usual, but instead she pressed her lips together and muttered, "Thank you, Ms. Swan."

She pat the woman's shoulder softly feeling Regina cringe away and with a wave to Henry headed off toward her room, alone.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She had been doing her best to go back to business as usual, but it was exceedingly difficult with the way everyone was treating her now. She liked that normally everyone was either afraid of her or far too intimidated to speak to her directly, weary of her harsh nature. Now, as the rumor spread through town, people were opening doors for her and greeting her cheerfully on the street. It was as if the pregnancy had somehow made her weak in their eyes. She hated it. What she hated even more was that with the sudden change in hormones and the unanswered and unsettling mystery of her pregnancy she felt as though she _needed_  their kindness. Regina had always been a rock, there for Henry, running the town and all of the people in it but now – well now she just desperately craved a hug and perhaps a friend. Her newfound vulnerability pissed her off more than she could have ever explained; perhaps that is why what happened the following day at the police station made her so angry.

* * *

 

She flew into the station, as she usually did like a human sized tornado ripping everything up in her wake but stopped short just inside the door. Emma was dozing in her chair; hand expectantly on the phone as if waiting for it to ring to alert her of some dire emergency. Suddenly to Regina, Emma looked different; though she couldn't have named how. It was almost as if her skin were glowing radiant. Had it always been so smooth? Had her hair always been quite so richly yellow? She could smell her skin from here - had it always been so warm, so fragrant?

 

Emma's head snapped up at the feeling of the eyes on her and immediately scowled. It didn't bother Regina; a scowl was their usual greeting. She plopped the stack of paperwork meant for The Sheriffs hands still trying to find exactly what it was about Emma that looked so different.

 

"What?" Emma asked, eyebrows furrowed in a way that weirdly reminded her so much of her son.

 

"You look nice today, Ms. Swan." She said offhandedly.

 

Emma's scowl deepened as if the woman had declared war instead of complimenting her, "Oh? Feeling lonely?"

 

Regina's eyes narrowed, embarrassed rage filling her at the low blow. She opened her mouth to bark a retort but instead...she burst into tears, huge fat drops water-falling to her shirt instantly.

 

Emma's eyes popped and she nearly fell out of her chair in shock. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she cried jumping up, "I thought you were going to yell at me for falling asleep so I was on the defensive, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

 

She wrapped her arms around Regina but furious with herself for this sudden display Regina pulled away, turning to leave. Emma caught her easily and wrapped her arms around her tightly, pulling her to her.

 

"I'm sorry." Emma cooed.

 

Giving in, Regina let her head fall on the woman's shoulders her tears wracking her body as they turned from a hormonal plague to a genuine release of fear. Why was it that now she felt so raw so easily damaged? Pregnancy wasn't demeaning and yet somehow Regina felt as if she was losing her dignity. More than any other question, however, was the ever-present one: how had she gotten pregnant? _Who_  was the father? Could she find out his identity before he did...whatever he had done to her...to someone else?

 

Emma only softly cooed to her as she cried, painting soft circles on her back and for the first time in weeks Regina began to feel a little better. When her tears finally sniffled to a close she stood and apologized, "I don't know what that was."

 

"Pregnancy hormones. They're hard." Emma shrugged.

 

"Have you been pregnant, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked surprised.

 

Emma's eyebrows furrowed, "No, I guess not. I don't know where that came from."

 

Regina cleared her throat nervously, now that she had cried on the woman for a better part of twenty minutes she wasn't sure what to say, "Thank you for that."

 

Emma just smiled softly.

 

Taking a step away Regina felt the strange foreign tears begin to spill again. Emma jumped, taking her arm, "Madam Mayor, why don't you let me take you home?"

 

The brunette sighed, she had thrown up in front of the woman and she had cried in front of the woman. She had snored in front of the woman and she had even given in to multiple orgasms at the woman's hand. Giving in she sniffed, "Regina."

"What?"

"Regina. Please. Call me Regina."

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

 

Once at the door of the Mills house Regina found she didn't want Emma to leave. She fought with herself until her emotions won and she asked, briskly, "Do you think you could come in for a little bit? I'm sorry, I just-"

 

"Of course I'll come in, Regina."

 

A small smile fluttered at Regina's lips at, despite all of their fighting, this woman's open and honest kindness to her.

 

Inside they headed straight for the kitchen. "Are you hungry? It seems I'm always hungry these days."

 

Emma smiled and pushed Regina onto a stool at the kitchen island, "Let me."

 

Regina watched, thankful for the company as Emma busied herself around the kitchen, her stomach growling as if she had never seen food before in her life.

 

"So where's Henry?"

 

"Sleepover."

 

Regina couldn't even find it in herself to be ashamed of her third bowl of pasta. There was just no filling her these days; that is unless she was sick. Morning sickness was said to evaporate in the second trimester and she was only a few weeks away from that. She was hopeful.

 

Finally, Regina stretched back in her chair, her belly full and sighed.

 

"Get enough?"

 

She smiled a bit, "Finally."

 

She watched Emma watch her trace her hands over the tiny bump that wasn't really there yet and cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

 

Emma smiled, "Nothing. Do you know what it is yet?"

 

"The sex? No, not for another month but I'm hoping for a little girl."

 

"Any names picked out?"

 

She smiled affectionately, "Cora. After my mother. She died when Henry was little. Stroke. So I though that would be nice to pass the name on." She sighed, still softly caressing where her little bump would soon be; she had never felt this magnitude of love this quickly before. Even when she had adopted Henry, the happiest day of her life, she and her beautiful green-eyed son had needed some time to get to know one another.

 

"Cora." Emma seemed to be tasting the name and chose dislike, "What about Sarah?"

 

Regina shook her head lightly, "It's too old fashioned."

 

"Hmm, Jessica?"

 

"Too modern."

 

They had fun for a while playing the name game for a while before a huge yawn broke over Regina's face.

 

She was exhausted. She was always exhausted.

 

"You're tired. I should go."

 

Regina nodded and grudgingly pulled herself to her feet, "Thank you for cooking. It's nice to have someone do that without having to pay Granny to do it."

 

Emma nodded lightly and with an awkward smile headed out the door.

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She chuckled when Regina opened the door the next evening, looking surprised. Regina was a dynamo, blowing through town with an air of regal dominance, her skirt suits and high heels demanding respect. But now, settled in for an evening at home she was in a the tight, stretchy tee shirt material dress, face washed clean of makeup and a carrot dangling from her hand. She looked like an exhausted new mother to be. There was no bump, not yet but in a dress that tight it looked simply as though the Mayor had devoured a big lunch. She looked beautiful.

 

"Ms. Swan? Is there something I can help you with?"

 

"Can we go back to Emma now?"

 

"What?"

 

"Can we please be done with the whole Ms. Swan thing and preferably not bring it up again? Come on, we became friends last night, let's just move forward. Emma. Please."

 

Regina's face pinched but all she said, "Okay."

 

In explanation for her sudden arrival Emma lifted her bag of groceries, "Henry told me today he was upset he missed my cooking and I thought you might be hungry." She hesitated, suddenly unsure of her plan. "Are you hungry?"

 

Regina laughed, lightly, "Yes."

 

"Good."

 

Emma silently clapped herself on the back for a job well done as she made her way to the kitchen.

 

Regina sat on the stool again looking concerned, "You didn't have to do this, Emma."

 

Emma smiled to herself to see how easily her name suddenly fell off of the woman's tongue. It was a nice change.

She knew of course that Henry had simply been teasing her and that Regina was indeed capable of cooking for herself but if she was being honest with herself she had wanted to come over. From the moment she had stepped off Regina's porch the previous night she had wanted to come back. She didn't know why. She didn't really know if she liked that she was feeling this way. So Emma just smiled, "I wanted to. Saves me from another dinner alone tonight."

 

Regina studied her for a moment, thoughtfully.

"What?" Emma blushed.

"Nothing."

 

Slowly she unpacked the first bag, frowning a bit at REgina's look and setting the items on the counter. She reached into the second bag to begin unpacking that one, "So I don't know if this is true or not but I hear all pregnant women crave these so I brought you some."

 

"Oh my god, pickles!" Regina cried, unceremoniously popping the lid and inhaling one in three bites. Emma turned, using the excuse of washing her hands to hide her smile, another for Emma. "Oh and," Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out an Apollo candy bar. Regina's eyes lit up like it was Christmas.

 

"Henry!" Regina called over her shoulder mouth full of pickle and chocolate, "We have company."

 

Emma grimaced at the combination, "Okay, that is disgusting."

 

Regina looked back to her, her eyes adorably blank, "What's disgusting?"

 

A thundering sound like a stampeding elephant flew down the stairs before excited Henry jumped to her side, hugging her, "What are you doing here?"

 

"Dinner." She said simply.

 

He nodded and seemingly without thinking went to his mother and softly rubbed where the bump would appear. Emma felt a tight pang of envy as she watched the boy. She wanted a turn! Perhaps it was just the universal pull of new life. "Are you hungry, Sarah?" he asked startling Emma.

 

Emma started, "Sarah?"

 

"Oh yes, didn't you hear? My son has taken to your given name more than my own."

 

She chuckled; score two for Emma. "What if it's not a girl, kid?"

 

Henry just shrugged, taking a seat, "She is."

 

They ate not long after, Regina again putting away an amount that would feed a small army before, bellies a little rounder, they all settled on the living room couch.

 

"Mom, can we watch some TV?"

 

Regina nodded, reminding him that his bedtime was looming at only an hour away.

 

They three sat quietly, simply in one another's company watching a silly sitcom until a loud snore made Emma jump.

 

Regina had fallen asleep; slack jawed against the back of the couch again.

 

Henry giggled, "Yeah, she does that every night now."

 

"Well, should I wake her up?" Emma whispered.

 

"No, because if you do she'll just say she didn't mean to fall asleep and she'll force herself to stay awake."

 

Emma nodded in understanding not wanting to move too much and in fear of waking the woman.

 

As eight o'clock rolled around Emma whispered a reminder for Henry to get ready for bed which he grudgingly did. Regina had slowly slid sideways on the couch until she was lightly snoring, her face buried in the crook of Emma's shoulder.

 

Henry emerged a few minutes later, teeth brushed and in pajamas. He kissed his sleeping mother and kissed the baby bump before, without much thought, kissing Emma's cheek.

 

She smiled, secretly flattered and watched him unhappily head up the stairs to his bed.

 

Now what?

 

She looked around wondering if she should stay or if she should go. If she got up Regina would definitely wake. She flipped casually through the TV for a while, debating, until a movie she loved came on and her mind was made up her mind for her. Settling in, she let the sleeping woman pressed a little closer and watched the movie.

 

An hour later a particularly loud gunshot on the screen jarred Regina, with a loud snort, from her sleep. Emma hid her laughter and grinned warmly as Regina blinked clearly confused about how she had gotten there, so very close to Emma.

 

"I'm uh, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep and I didn't mean to invade your personal space."

 

Emma shrugged and told her truthfully that she didn't mind.

 

"Henry?"

 

"In bed."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

"I'm just surprised."

 

"That I could make the kid go to bed you mean?"

 

"Well, actually yes."

 

"Kids always listen to strangers better than they listen to their parents."

 

"You're not a stranger." The response had been so quick that Emma could tell she hadn't really meant to say it.

 

Emma just shrugged.

 

The two watched the television for a little while longer but when Regina's eyes began to droop again Emma shook her and insisted that she go to bed.

 

Regina nodded, looking as though she wasn't completely pleased about the idea but followed Emma to the door, thanking her again for dinner. "Come over to do that anytime you want to." Regina teased.

 

So Emma did.

 

She returned the following night with take-out and a smile of "Hey stranger". Shocked, Regina had let her in with one a second of hesitation. Then Emma had shown up two nights later, ingredients for Shepard's Pie in hand. Soon no one in the Mills' house was surprised to see Ema on their couch or cooking in their kitchen. She had become part of the furniture.

 

Emma and Regina had finally turned a corner, anger set aside as a friendship truly bloomed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She rang the doorbell as she did every night, her usual greeting of "hey stranger" ready to make Regina smile - as it usually did. While she waited she wondered - as she did every night if she shouldn't just let herself in. She was expected and the three of them were quickly becoming very familiar with one another - perhaps assuming familiarity would expedite the process.

Just as she was going to take the plunge and just do it she heard the trademark stampede that meant Henry had come running.

"Hey kid, where's your mom?" Regina had a strict no answering the door policy for Henry. Though it was a small town the woman had cautioned her son on stranger danger more than once.

Henry huffed a big sigh, clearly uncomfortable, "She's upstairs. She's crying again."

Before she could laugh Regina's panic stricken voice wobbled down the stairs, "Henry, is that Emma?"

"Regina?" Emma called back, her Spider Senses tingling. She launched herself up the stairs three at a time crashing through the bedroom door before skating to a halt, swallowing thickly and averting her eyes. "Oh, um, I'm sorry. I thought - you sounded like - sorry."

Regina stood in front of the mirror in nothing but her matching bra and panties, clothes still hanging limply from her hands and pooled around her feet. The sun of an early golden hour caught the skin of the woman's back, arms and legs beautifully, turning the light olive to a vibrant gold. Though she was bawling heavily her face shown, elegant and majestic, her eyes alight. She looked up; catching Emma's eyes and Emma saw; her embarrassment instantly forgotten. "Oh my god, Regina."

Regina smiled through her tears, "I swear this wasn't here this morning." There finally nestled at fourteen weeks just above the woman's hips was a tiny bump jutting from her thin frame as if she had swallowed a baseball, so small that Emma knew if she reached for it, she could cup it with one hand.

She settled on the bed next to the woman, wonder flowing through her as she sat transfixed and torn between watching the beautiful woman's face and staring at the tiny bump.

She wanted to reach out and touch her – anywhere.

She had become aware over the course of the past few weeks that releasing the anger and hostility she had felt toward Regina had left room for other feelings such as desire and wonder. She supposed that these underlying things had been what prompted their one night stand so long ago. It didn't help that as she grew to know the woman behind the cold mask of The Mayor she saw the beautiful, sad and lonely soul underneath.

Of course it still hurt to know that Regina did not want her, not in that way anyway, it was clear. But she couldn't help but to feel honored as she sat there next to her sharing this moment that not even Henry was a part of.

"How are you feeling? Any nausea?"

Regina shook her head, barely paying attention, "No, it's been a few days now."

Emma just nodded, swallowing thickly. She wanted – strained to – needed to put her hand there but she didn't dare ask because she knew if she touched her there again, she would touch her everywhere. She ached just to touch the woman's soft skin again – to take her into her arms. When she looked up her heart jumped into her throat for a moment. Hand on her little bump Regina was watching her in the mirror, the look on her face warm but otherwise unreadable. Emma jumped to her feet, her flushing furiously. She was sure that while she couldn't tell what was passing through Regina's eyes, her own had been quite telling.

"So uh, is the little bump hungry? I brought something spicy."

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She watched the blonde shoot from her room, frowning. What had just happened? What had made her suddenly so uncomfortable? She shouldn't have been in her underwear, that's what it was. Scolding herself she quickly pulled on a pair of leggings and a comfortable shirt.

There are rules to be followed, Regina! Just because you feel comfortable with her doesn't mean she feels that way with you. Idiot.

She studied herself for just another moment in the mirror, sad that the tee shirt dwarfed her new development.

 

Here it was, her tiny little irrefutable proof. It wasn't cancer or a cyst but instead a tiny little person growing within her. She touched the bump with reverence. She didn't know how it had happened but every time she began to panic about that fact a strange serenity washed over her. She just - couldn't seem to get worked up over the mystery man. Perhaps it was this new, undying love for the little bump; which was more then she could put into functioning words.

 

* * *

 

Over the next two weeks Regina watched in fascination and perhaps a small amount of fear as her little bump grew from a baseball to a large grapefruit. She was beginning to feel as though something was slowly taking over her body. She watched the many changes taking place with fascination and fear but most of all she watched helplessly as her emotions became a roller coaster, doing dips and dives that no one could have foresee. One moment she would be screaming at a city contractor who had, perhaps, not been as quick at his job as she would have liked - only to find herself sobbing and apologizing for being so rude a moment later. Then as her tears dried she would laugh at herself long and hard, the contractor looking at her as though she had lost her mind. Then spurred by the look she would she angrily dismiss him from her presence, slamming the office door behind him so hard that the glass shook.

The only person who didn't even seem to jump at these changes was Emma.

Emma...

Regina looked at the clock again, where was she? If there was ever a day she thought she would be punctual it was today. Perhaps David was taking his time returning to the station after his lunch break. She felt a sudden swirl of fury at the man as her hormones flashed. She sighed and quickly swallowed the flash back down.

As if aware Regina was thinking about her she heard pounding footsteps running up the front walk before the door flew open. "Regina?" Emma cried, out of breath and panting.

Regina stifled a chuckle unsuccessfully and called out to her, not wanting to move from her stretched out position on the couch, where she had been rubbing absentmindedly at the bump.

Emma appeared around the back of the couch, face a little red but grinning mischievously.

"Whatcha got there, stranger?" Regina asked, using Emma's bizarre but alluring nickname for herself before Emma could.

Emma smiled and produced a huge bundle of pink roses from behind her back, "I'm sorry I'm late. The florist took forever. Happy sex day."

Regina laughed her eyebrow cocking of its own accord and enveloped herself in the scent, unwanted and unnecessary tears ever running down her cheeks that neither woman was surprised by and simply ignored, "Thank you, Emma but wait," Emma hesitated as she had moved to join Regina on the couch, "How did you know? Who told you?"

"What?"

"Pink."

Emma's eyes bugged and she all but bounced on the balls of her feet, "Wait, I'm right?"

"Yeah," Regina smiled, "it's a girl, how did you know?"

Whooping Emma punched the air, "I knew it! We knew it, Henry and I. Oh, he's going to be so stoked."

"No one told you?"

The blonde shook her head smiling widely, "We just knew. There was no way that wasn't a little girl in there." Regina watched as Emma's hand shot forward to touch the bump but then, quickly pulled back at the last second – _again._

"What if it had been a boy?"

Emma shrugged, "I would have told you that boys can like pink too and then probably made fun of you for being old fashioned."

"I am not! That pink button up of Henry's is my favorite."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully.

They settled onto the couch together peacefully, enjoying a comfortable silence as Regina casually rub her tummy as if she could actually feel the baby through the skin. She watched as Emma's eyes followed the hand like a cat hunting a mouse. She could _see_ how much the blonde longed to touch the little round spot and could not for the life of her think of why she didn't just _do_ it. Would it be _that_ uncomfortable for the woman to touch her again? That was the only explanation she could think of. It had been a question that had been floating around in her mind for the past week while she watched jealousy flash in the green eyes as her belly was all but passed around wherever they went. Regina just hadn't had the courage to ask. She had grown very fond of and accustom to Emma by her side. They were...friends and that was nice. What if she discovered the Emma did not feel the same way?

Still, taking a deep breath she thought she was ready to hear the answer, even if it was as dark as her imagination insisted, "Emma, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" The woman clearly was still distracted.

"Em." Regina had never used any type of nickname for Emma before and it sent a shot of warmth through her chest. She liked it.

Emma's eyes finally shot up to Regina's, "What?"

"I have an observation I would like to share. Now that I am showing it seems like I am a walking hand magnet. I can't go down the street without Ruby, Mary Margret or someone else stopping me to touch my stomach. As a matter of fact, it seems like the moment I walk into Granny's these days her hands are on me before I cross the threshold."

Emma chuckled, "I've noticed."

"Right. What I don't understand though is you're here every day, bringing me anything and everything I could ever desire but you are the only person - in the whole town I think - who has never once touched it. Henry is all over it, reading to her and talking to her, but you never do."

  1. The word passed through Regina's mind like a smile.



She saw something flash through Emma's eyes at her words and Regina did her best to read the language that she wasn't sure she was fluent in with no luck.

Emma hesitated, "Well I guess you just explained why. You always have people touching you. I don't want to add to it, that can't be comfortable. Just because there is a baby inside doesn't mean it's not still part of – part of your body."

Regina frowned wishing she knew exactly how to assuage Emma's concerns. She _wanted_ to feel Emma's hand there.

"Is it because of – " she trailed off leaving the sentence unfinished but she knew Emma understood.

"No, of course not." The blonde's words came out a little too quickly.

"Well then," Regina put as much authority into her voice as she could while lying on her couch in the middle of the day with her feet over the other woman, shoes kicked off, "you are welcome to touch my bump, for lack of a better word, anytime you want."

The blonde nodded quickly but it was clear she was just being polite and would do no such thing.

With a sigh, Regina reached for the blonde's hand and, lifting her shirt a bit to expose her bump, she tenderly placed the warm palm on it.

 

Both women instantly  yelped, jumping up and scrambling away from one another, eyes wide.

 _There it was again!_ Regina's mind screamed, _It happened again – with someone other than Henry!_

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She stared at the woman across the couch from her, baffled. "What was that?" her voice was high almost cracking. She hadn't been crazy, right? No, because there was Regina looking just as alarmed as Emma felt. "That was weird, right? Like a shock."

Regina nodded her head but said nothing.

"Static electricity?" Emma tried. "Right. Yeah. Benn neglecting your dryer sheets, Regina?" Emma sank slowly back on the couch before laughing at herself. She had been silly, why had that startled her so badly? "I don't know why but that scared the crap out of me."

Regina just sat with a strange look in the corner of her eyes. She finally stood and standing before Emma, she lifted her shirt back up.

"What?" Emma could sense something was upsetting the brunette. "Did I hurt you?"

"No. Put your hand back."

Emma slowly raised her hand, suddenly on edge. _Get a grip, Emma._

Softly she placed her hands on the little bump, eyes shooting to the chocolate ones as the strong almost painful zap hit her palms again. Emma didn't back away this time, eyes wide.

Soon the zap settled and in its place a far more incredible and confusing sensation started to rise.

 

_Bump, bump, bump_

_Bump, bump, bump_

_Bump, bump, bump_

_Bump, bump, bump_

 

"Regina?" Emma asked, voice low, eyes wide, "Is that -"

"Heartbeats." Regina nodded slowly, tensely "Henry says he can feel it too."

"What?"

"He says when he touches her he can feel four heartbeats. I thought the kid was crazy or perhaps being a bit overly dramatic but - your face."

Emma stared down at the little bump feeling all four beats. It wasn't as though she could feel them in her hand or her head exactly. It was almost as if she could feel them in the very quick of her, reverberating in the very core of her soul.

"I supposed I have seen online that sometimes you can feel the heartbeat. It's supposed to be rare but I guess it can happen."

Emma had no words in her. She just stared, open-mouthed at the beautiful brunette.

Slowly as their eyes bore into one another's they felt something shift again as it had when Emma held Regina as she cried. Something inside of them, something unnamed but warm began to move, shifting and grinding into place. Something that was comfortable and familiar, almost a whisper of something forgotten.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She gave Henry his after school snack with a kiss to the forehead, happy to be home a bit early today. She nodded along as he chattered nonstop about his day, filling her in on all the toils of being a child.

"Hey mom," he said suddenly changing his topic mid thought "Emma can feel Sarah's heartbeat, right?"

Regina covertly rolled her eyes, between her son and Emma she wasn't sure if she had the option about her little girls name. "We don't know exactly what that is, Henry, whether heartbeat or something else but yes, she says that she feels what you feel." She didn't tell him about the fact that she was sure when her son and her friend touched her belly she also felt the beats somewhere deep within her. She had called Dr. Whale but he had only seemed slightly thrown, ensuring her that while strange it was nothing she should worry about; strange things happened during pregnancy all of the time.

Henry seemed to expect his mother's answer and only nodded along a little, "Mom, why does Emma live at Granny's?"

She couldn't keep up with her child's topic changes; it was dizzying. "Where else would she stay, Henry?"

Her son didn't skip a beat when he said, "I think she should be here with us."

"Henry, she's here every day!" She kissed his cheek. The way she felt about her son's connection to her friend had drastically changed over the weeks. It had gone from a slithering slimy feeling in her gut of jealousy and suspicion to light warmth. When you saw Emma and Henry together you just couldn't deny their affection. It seemed as natural as sun during daylight for them to stand hand in hand or leaned together while deep in conversation.

"I know, but I think she should live here with us."

Regina blinked, thrown, "What, just move her into a spare room?"

"Yeah! Like you said she's here all of the time anyway and I mean, she can feel Sarah too. That kind of makes her family, doesn't it?"

As much as she didn't want to she could see the logic behind her beautiful son's way of thinking.

"Plus, mom," Henry insisted his little face showing a hint of the adult he would one day be, "every time I go to the station Emma is looking for an apartment in the newspaper. I think she's even starting to think about getting an apartment _outside of Storybrooke._ ”His eyes widened comically as if past the borders of their little town was a strange land filled with wild beasts and unforeseen danger. "If she does that then we'll never see her!"

Regina scowled, it seemed her son always knew just a little bit more about her friend then she did.

"When did she tell you that?"

"A few days ago. Come on, mom. Just think about it."

His proposal gnawed at her mind that afternoon until she found herself looking through her mayoral information about empty apartments in Storybrooke. There were none, Henry hadn't been kidding but while in Henry's young mind moving someone into their house was not big deal, Regina knew it was.

Was Emma really looking for an apartment outside of the city? The closest city in any direction was at least an hour away. Henry was right, they would see much less of the woman in the evenings.

* * *

 

"Are you unhappy at Granny's?" She knew her question had been out of the blue that evening.

"What do you mean? She and Ruby are great. They treat me very well."

"No, I mean, are you unhappy living in a hotel?"

"Ah," Emma nodded, "Henry got to you."

"What?"

"I told him that I was thinking about living outside of the city a few days ago. He kind of freaked out. What did he say to you?"

"That you're moving out of the city."

"I mean, I wouldn't leave my job or anything. I would just commute...every day."

"That's quite a long commute every day, Emma."

Emma shrugged, "I like to drive." Regina frowned, unhappy with the answer and Emma continued on, "I've heard rumor that once Ashley marries Sean there might be an apartment on the market but other than that I have no leads."

Regina stood, pacing a little. She would never admit that she was slightly taken with Henry's idea. Emma around all of time felt nothing like an intrusion into her home, if anything it almost simply made sense. "I would hate to see you go so far away and you know that the city doesn't pay travel right? What if you're needed at night?"

"Yeah." Emma said slowly, watching her as if she were something slightly dangerous. "I know, Regina but how long am I supposed to stay in a hotel?"

Regina fumbled with her ring a little bit before letting the words fall out "Well one is bound to become available eventually but in the meantime why don't you stay here? It makes much more sense then leaving the city."

"What?" Emma choked.

"Think about it, Ms. Swan. You're here every day as it is. We have many spare bedrooms available; it just seems silly to stay in a hotel and unsafe to move away."

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Regina had lost it. The pregnancy hormones had finally done her in. It was only a few weeks ago that they had been fighting like cats and dogs.

"You can't possibly mean that." She studied the woman. She knew that her sudden use of her sir name meant Regina was nervous. Could she mean it? It wasn't as if Emma was looking forward to the daily commute let alone the rise in cost of gas for her.

"Give me one good reason why not."

Emma scoffed, "How about the fact that I would be living here."

"Would that be so bad?"

Emma gaped, not sure how to answer that.

"Besides, I don't think Henry could abide you living in a hotel much longer."

Emma could come up with no argument that Regina found worthy of consideration. It almost seemed as though the woman had decided she would be moving in before she even asked her. Then again, this was Regina so she probably had.

Was it smart for her to live with someone she was attracted to? She wasn't so sure but she could _be_ here. She could help out more than she already did. She could see the people who had become her favorites morning, noon and night.

Pulling Emma to her feet, Regina quickly lead her up the stairs and down the hall to a room not far from her own and unceremoniously informed her that she now lived there.

The following evening, still not sure if she was making a wise choice she threw her two duffels filled with her only possessions over her shoulders, she checked out of Granny's; ignoring the interested whispers of the townspeople.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, of course, am not going to tell you exactly what will be happening this chapter but let me say that pregnancy is a funny time. Giving away too much information about myself, I took this scene from an interesting moment of time in my own past.
> 
>  
> 
> It was a very fun chapter to write (one of my two favorites I think) so I hope you enjoy it.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

Her skin was on fire. Every little sensation whether a light breeze through her window or the sheet slipping across her skin sent her head spinning, shooting straight to her center and driving her temper through the roof.

She groaned in frustration in the morning light, swinging her legs off the bed angrily. She had never been this turned on. She had never felt the need for someone's hands on her as badly as she had felt it for the last few days. She was eighteen weeks along, _single_ and horny. So, so horny. Torturously _horny._ Nothing else compared to this; not the constant back pain that was developing, the crippling pregnancy cramps, the peeing every five minutes or the constant hunger. It was as if her hormones had declared open war on her body and try as she might, she couldn't calm the feeling.

She slipped her bra on, happy to put her ever so sensitive nipples behind their prison and the constantly throbbing, constantly moist point behind the panty cage. She didn't have time for that this morning, she needed to get the sleepy Henry up and out of bed before he was late for school.

"Morning." Emma smiled sleepily over her steaming cup of coffee. "Henry's in the shower."

"You got him up?"

Emma just nodded, rubbing her eyes and frowning at the fact that she was awake.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the adorableness of the face and banged Henry's breakfast cereal bowl on the counter just a bit harder than she had meant to.

"You all right?" Emma asked with a soft brush like fire, across the back of her shoulders. The spoon in Regina's hand clattered against the bowl as it fell from her grip. She scowled and moving away from the touch grabbed the milk, "of course."

The refrigerator door slammed.

She could tell that people around town noted her newly dawned grumpy state throughout the day. Emma had asked her what was wrong numerous times throughout the day but there was absolutely no way that she was going to share. Especially not when the stupid blonde sheriff was so attuned to Regina, reading every self-conscious touch of her ever growing belly or nervous nibble of her lip correctly and resulted in a cupped cheek or a squeezed hand as she swore that she looked more beautiful than ever. The words made her heart flutter and the touch was maddening.

She hated it. It made Regina want to maul her. It was already difficult not to be caught by the beauty that was Emma Swan; it was as if her skin glowed radiant every time she looked at her. She didn't need more encouragement.

 

She could just ask the woman for sex, she knew that. They had done it once before but she had never forgotten Emma's words as she had stormed from her home.

_Next time you need to find solace in someone, make sure it's not me._

She had used Emma before, perhaps not intentionally but regardless of intent she had hurt her with her rejection. She had hurt her enough that Regina could still see small side effects behind the woman's green eyes. Regina heard those words her ring in her ears and knew she couldn't hurt her friend in that way again.

Besides, the fact that the woman was living two doors down from her made the whole thing - so much stickier.

* * *

 

The longer Regina The Grump, as Emma called her, reigned elite over Regina The Calm or Regina The Happy, Emma became visibly more distressed. She brought Regina The Grump her favorite pregnancy snacks as well as other small treats, she offered to watch Henry so Regina could sleep and even encouraged her to take a day off to relax. She was clearly doing everything she could think of and while Regina was thankful and touched by he concern nothing was scratching the itch that was driving her mad.

Still guilt flooded through her as she and Emma sat on the couch in the afternoon sun together. Emma was reading, simply being there with Regina doing her best to not wake the monster. Regina lay, once again, feet in her lap enjoying the sensation of Emma lightly stroking her toes as she read.

"Hey Em," Regina said uncertainly basking in the friendly affection, "I'm sorry I've been so hard to be around this week. I know it must be difficult for you and Henry."

Emma smiled a bit as she put her book down, "It's all right, I just wish I could figure out how to help. I've never felt like I could do anything less then I feel like I can help you right now."

Regina laughed internally, if only she knew just how much she _could_ help. "I think I'm just starting to get uncomfortable. My back and feet hurt most of the time and I don't know, I just can't relax."

Emma glanced sideways quickly for a moment looking nervous, "Are you sure it's not because I'm here? It seems like it started right about then."

"What? No!" Further guilt flooded through the woman. "Of course not. I'm just a cranky pregnant lady. I'll try to be better though. It isn't fair for you two when I'm" she scoffed playfully, "Regina The Grump.""

Emma laughed, her head thrown back glowing in the sunlight.

* * *

 

It had become almost a tradition in the Mills house for the little group of three, soon to be four to gather around the television in the living room, laughing together at what was on the screen or just as commonly, in Regina's case, napping.

That night was no different. Emma had picked her beloved old favorite DVD to share with the other two; clearly enjoying watching their expressions as they laughed and swayed with the singing characters on the screen.

Though Regina was enjoying the happy singing face of Dick Van Dyke almost as much as she was enjoying Emma's wide happy grin but she couldn't help it when, just like every night, her eyelids grew heavy. Emma teased her often when she apologized for the strange places she fell asleep recently insisting that growing a new person was a tiring job.

A panicked yelp woke her as her leg crippled tightly. "God damn it!"

"What? What is it?" Emma yelled, jumping up to come to her aid in whatever way she could.

"My leg!" Regina gasped, struggling to straighten the Charlie Horse, "It's another cramp. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Emma's face calmed a little and she called reassurances to a groggy Henry whom clearly had come running from bed to find out what was wrong.

"How about you have one of these, Emma and then we will see if you call it just another pregnancy cramp." Regina snapped, forgetting to thank Emma for seeing to Henry's bedtime routine.

"Calm down and straighten it. Relax." Emma coaxed softly pulling the limb into her lap to softly rub the pain away.

Slowly the cramp released and Regina relaxed into the couch again, enjoying the simple sensation of fingers working through sore muscles and wondering, yet again, how she had gotten so lucky with Emma.

"How's that?" Emma asked softly, her attention torn between the screen and Regina's aching leg.

"Mmm." Regina mumbled behind closed eyes, feeling every touch deep into her bones, "That's wonderful. Thank you, dear."

They sat in silence for a while as Dick Van Dyke sang to his two children, Emma eventually taking the other foot and leg into her palms.

 

Preoccupied with the screen Emma tightly squeezed her ankle before her hand drifted up to her bare knees. She laughed out loud as she watched the old movie, her smile radiant and Regina couldn't help but to smile in response. The fond smile died instantly though as Emma's fingers accidently tickled behind her knee before slowly gravitating to the back of her ankles, innocently tickling two of Regina's favorite sensitive spots within seconds of one another.

 _Oh no,_ suddenly she could feel the light touch, the gentle rubbing – everywhere but more importantly - _there!_ It was as though the gentle circles being rubbed were sending psychic tendrils over her always too sensitive bud. It sent delicious shivers down her arms and legs, twisting her mind as Emma slowly moved from her foot back up past her ankle and inadvertently to mid thigh, twisting so her fingers slid along the sensitive inner thigh. She moaned softly. _Oh no!_

Emma smiled, clearly pleased to help the woman with any of her aches and pains. She always took such a sense of pride from the soft sighs of pleasure Regina released during an especially helpful massage.

The hands slipped down past her ankle again and Regina shifted, feeling the seam of her shorts rub in just the right - no, wrong, spot and another soft whimper passed through Regina's lips. She couldn't tell her, she couldn't tell her but this had to stop! "Emma, you can stop, it's all right. Your hands must be getting tired." She did her very best to keep her voice even and strong but the heady feeling of her hands on her thighs, legs and feet – it was as if Emma was actually softly brushing up and down her desperately straining sex.

Emma just smiled, "I'm okay. Come on, who doesn't like a foot rub?"

Regina fell back on the couch, determined she could keep her mind clear and her body only politely responsive. Of course, she could do that. _Just get your head out of the gutter, Regina!_

But she couldn't.

The more she tried not to think about the sensation, the more the sensation drove into her, the more she shifted and her shorts rubbed, unwilling images flicked of the blonde as she smiled, the blonde as she brushed her hair, pajama-clad in the mornings, the blonde turning to putty under her hand, the blonde letting out a shuddering cry as she was drawn to her climax.

She wanted this. She wanted this woman but -

Emma absently ran her hands high up REgina's thigh and then pulled her shorts a bit, straightening them.

Regina groaned again, this time louder and almost in panic she wailed, "Emma, you need to stop!" That little flick of her shorts had done it. She was racing to the edge much too quickly, her need far too great. No, no, she needed her to stop. She needed her to –

"What?" Emma asked casually, having been far too focused on the TV screen to notice Regina's - state.

Regina let out a loud cry, spiraling at Emma's innocent touch, her toes curling, her eyes rolling, her body writhing. She felt Emma's hands stop in confusion, but it was too late. She had fallen haphazardly into a mild orgasm and into bitter embarrassment as waves of pleasure washed through her, making her shake.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

"Oh my god, no!" Regina cried, her arms plastered over her head, burying her face in the couch pillow.

"Oh my god," Emma breathed, "Did you just - ?"

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

"Did you just come?"

Regina's body writhed now, doing her best to cover her face, to get away from the other woman and curl into a tiny ball as she wailed in humiliation. "That did not just happen! That did not just happen!"

"From what?" Emma cried, amazed, thoroughly amused and perhaps a little proud, "From me rubbing your legs?"

"Yes!" Regina roared, throwing the pillow hard at the woman's face, "And you pulled on my shorts which made them...rub. I'm pregnant! I couldn't help it! I tried to warn you! I'm sorry!"

A fierce stirring washed through the blonde, tugging at her apex as she realized what she had just witnessed, what she had just done.

Dumbstruck and elated Emma touched Regina's calves again, teasing, "Really? Can I see if I can do it again?"

Regina snarled trying to pull away but Emma held her. There was no way she was letting her get away without a fight.

Regina sensing this fell back onto the couch and almost cried as laughing, Emma tickled the valley behind her knees and up to the base of her rear before falling back down. "No, no, no, oh god!" Regina wailed, still clearly mortified. When Emma's fingers started the run up again Regina held a strict palm out to her, pulling away as best as she could, "Okay, okay, we both know you could do it again, you don't need to prove it."

Emma grinned, biting her lip as her body throbbed unfairly.

But there _was_ a need to prove it. Emma _definitely_ needed to prove it. And then, seeing Regina's flustered laugh understanding broke through and Emma finally understood Regina The Grump, "So this is what your problem has been."

Chocolate eyes flicked to darkening green as Regina released a halting breath, remembering those words from all of those weeks ago.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

When Regina put a hand out to stop her again Emma just kissed it, lightly sucking on the tip of her index finger. She knew why Regina hesitated, she expected it even; so she let the words she knew would kill her in the morning slip from her lips "Just for tonight. Let's see if we can banish Regina the Grump to a far away land."

Regina opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out as without preamble Emma slowly settled between Regina's legs and buried her face in Regina's clothes sex, making her moan deeply.

 

She had never seen a woman reach orgasm so quickly and in such quick succession. She had only softly kiss, slipping the wet panties away and letting her tongue sink into her before the woman was bucking. The moans slithering out of the woman like candy to Emma. She ran her hands up the woman's thighs and met the brunette's own eagerly clutching hands. The two locked together, fingers intertwining over the rounding belly. Four hearts beat filled Emma's being as it did every time she touched the woman and then Regina was sailing into her first orgasm, crying out Emma's name and spilling warm liquid across the blonde's lips.

Crawling up to her lips she kissed her passionately, feeling the weeks of desire ripple though her before softly with her hand she brought her to her second orgasm. Regina then turned on her; bring herself to her own orgasm as she brought Emma to hers.

The next morning when Emma woke she was in a very different scene from the last time she had found herself between Regina's sheets. Regina smiled, warmly at her still pressed sleepily to her side. Though they said nothing to one another they kissed deeply and rose to ready themselves for their day, knowing they were leaving the room as just good friends again. Just as Emma knew it would, the words she had whispered the night before were slowly killing her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Life became simple for the three of them as they quickly fell into the routine of the shared house. Emma would wake Henry in the morning with a ruffle of his soft brown hair and send him to the shower so his increasingly pregnant mother could catch a few extra minutes of sleep. Regina would rise as Emma headed for the station dropping Henry at school as she went. For lunch Regina would, by daily coincidence meet Emma at the station or Emma would meet Regina at the office where they would laugh their way through their meal. Then that evening the three would find themselves in the kitchen, cooking and jabbering like blue jays just happy to be there.

It was easy, as natural as anything but every now and then Emma would look up and find chocolate eyes already on her and for just a moment she would blush. Or perhaps Regina would be making her way down the hall and the two would brush shoulders causing them both to jump away as the static crackled, their breath heavy for just a moment in their chest.

 

"Come on Henry." Emma said, abandoning her project to spin him as Glenn Miller zooted and bopped out of the stereo downstairs. She was getting nowhere with anyway, that stuff was impossible.

"Emmmmmaaa!" He groaned, turning lifelessly as she tried to get him to dance, his paintbrush held tightly in his hand.

"If you get any paint on the carpet, Swan and I'll kill you."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully, "The carpet is covered. Come on mama bear." She pulled the woman by the hand away from the wall she was painting the pastel purple, only giving her a second to put down the brush before spinning her with ease and pulling her to herself. Regina twirled, head tossed back laughing and graceful as always. The moment Regina was in Emma's arms, even in play, the air around them ignited - as it always did - but the two just laughed doing their best to pretend they hadn't noticed - as they always did.

Arm around Regina's waist and hand in hand they bounced together around the room, Emma spinning them fast in circles. Regina still somehow lithe on her feet was able to move at Emma's easiest of signals despite her growing belly.

Emma did her best to not notice - as she did on a daily basis - just how beautiful her friend was, cheeks rosy with exertion. Regina's body clearly agreed with pregnancy, her hair becoming lustrous and her ever golden olive skin radiated like a queen. At twenty-five weeks, just into her sixth month, Regina had finally swallowed a basketball and though it was nowhere near as large as the beach ball it would inevitably become, in the Mills house it had become the center of gravity of which all three orbited.

Henry cried for a second chance at his turn and Emma released his mother to him doubling over with laughter as he tried to dance but instead kept getting bopped in the chest by the round belly.

Sweeping up the just too big to be held boy she spun him tightly tracing the path she had followed with his mother until giggling he wailed to be put down.

When Emma wasn't distracting them, which seemed exceedingly rare, the walls of the future nursery were slowly but surely being painted by the two Mills to reflect the future little girl. As they worked Emma stood in the center of the room, muttering curse words and trying like hell to put together a changing table, crib and hanging bassinet. Nesting had hit Regina hard and all were in busy worker mode.

Emma, still chuckling, was just returning to the crib when Regina went roaring by in a sudden temper.

"Bathroom?" she asked not even looking up.

"Why does this happen so much?" Regina yelled behind the slammed door.

"Uh, because you're like a lot pregnant?" Silence met her bratty response. "Regina?"

"Emma!" Regina barreled from the bathroom, stumbling a bit and sending Emma's heart into her stomach as she did.

"What?"

When Regina got close enough she pulled Emma by the neck to her and without hesitation Emma put her hands on the little bump waiting eagerly.

A few weeks ago Regina had begun to randomly jump as if she had been goosed, a look of blatant shock on her face as she swore that the little thing inside of her had placed a well-aimed fist or foot into her insides. Every time Emma had rushed over, pressing lightly waiting for the little girl to make herself known. Once she thought she had felt a feather light graze against her fingers but she wasn't going to be convinced until the girl kickboxed her hand.

"Come on little bump," Emma cooed not even realizing she was doing it, "cooome oon."

"Mmm," Regina shook her head and moved Emma's hand closer to her pelvis.

With an uncharacteristically high-pitched scream Emma jumped back, "shit!" at the same moment the brunettes head jerked up to see if Emma had indeed felt that, grinning wildly.

"Emma, that's a bad word!" Henry scolded.

"Yeah, Emma," Regina quietly teased, "that's a bad word."

"Sorry, kid!" She cried dropping back to her knees almost shaking with excitement and waiting again.

Regina repositioned her hand again and waited, expecting the scream this time. "Oh my god!" Adoration flooded through her at the little nudge against her fingers. Finally, she had been able to feel the little girl she spent so much of her time thinking about. "Oh my god, Regina, I feel her. I can feel her! She's real!"

Regina smiled, "She's moving like crazy for you. I guess all of those bedtime stories are starting to pay off."

Emma beamed.

"Wait, wait, what about me?" Henry bellowed racing out of the bedroom, a smudge of purple on his nose. Seeing the probable collide of the boy and his mother Emma caught him protectively around the middle and pressed his hand to where hers had just been, covering it tightly as Regina placed hers on top to seal it off.

Four heartbeats passed between them but no one noticed, this was a common phenomenon. Henry's face fell serious as he waited for his sister and then much like Emma he bounded back, shock so apparent on his face that Emma nearly tipped over with laughter. "Whoa, that's so cool." Emma covered his hand again and grinned up at Regina the wide bright smile she adored shining back at her. Emma held the chocolate eyes for a moment before another mighty throb in her heart made her look away.

She had been trying to get into the habit as the pregnancy progressed of reminding herself of a simple fact yet direly important fact. As much as she loved the little bump, as much as she loved Henry and – and - and as much as she felt like she was part of the little family she knew that when it came down to it, she wasn't. It was essential to remember this fact and to keep some distance.

Longing rolled over her as she set back to work on the crib, careful to keep the outrageous smile plastered on her face as to not alert Regina of her sudden change of emotion.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She felt the blonde's sadness as she went, she always did and it made her heart throb for her. She didn't know what was causing the sudden bouts of depression but if she could have found an acceptable way to do it she would have taken her into her arms and kissed each and every moment of sadness away, one by one.

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

"So which will it be tonight? Sense and Sensibility or The Shining?"

"Mmm," Regina scrunched her nose and gently poking her thirty-week belly, feeling for the little girl, "I'm thinking she's up for some adventure tonight."

Emma smiled and plopped unceremoniously on the bed, resting her head between the small valley between the huge belly and Regina's chest. Unconscious of the motion Regina wrapped around her, head propped on her arm, chin resting lightly on Emma's temple. This had been their nightly routine for weeks now. After Henry went to bed the two curled up on the only space big enough for them both, Regina's bed and Emma would pick up where they had left off in their novel. Once Emma's voice got the little girl moving Regina lift her shirt and poking a little, they would watch as the belly morphed and moved from little bops here and there as the little girl stretched.

She cleared her throat and began to read out loud to the two.

"That didn't take much tonight." Regina smiled a few minutes later, lifting her shirt a bit to show Emma the tiny alien bop.

Emma grinned, this was her favorite part. Softly she placed her head on the belly facing Regina's smiling face, as she did most nights and waited for the soft or sometimes not so soft nudge to the side of the face. "One of these nights she's going to blacken your eye and I won't feel even a bit sorry for you."

Emma grinned then grinned wider as she felt the little nudge she had been hoping for.

Regina smiled softly at her, letting her hand drop into Emma's hair and for yet another evening Emma sighed, completely content.

"Will you keep reading?"

Emma nodded but before she could pick up the book the question Emma had chosen to ignore every time it surfaced came popping out, surprising even herself, "Are you going to have the father there when she comes?"

She saw the surprise flit across Regina's face before her eyes darkened just a bit, "No, I don't think so."

"Oh." She sighed, feeling another little nudge as if the little girl could sense Emma's sudden butterflies.

Emma had never asked Regina to identify the father. She knew that Regina had sunk her heels deep into the ground at the beginning of the pregnancy, refusing to tell anyone and if she were being honest with herself, she had never wanted to know who the man was. She had always feared it would be someone she knew and from there on she would have to look at him, knowing exactly what he had done - how he had touched Regina. "Are you sure you want to do it alone?"

Regina grimaced, "I think so. That seems like the best way."

Pining jealousy filled Emma as it did each time this subject was broached.

Against her own warnings to keep distance between herself and the small family Emma had covertly read all of the books, watched all of the online classes and done everything she could do to prepare for the day Regina delivered – only to find out that Regina planned of kicking everyone except herself and her doctor from the delivery room.

She wanted to be there. She wanted to be there more than she could stand.But no matter how often she found herself cuddled against the woman there were two facts that remained true: they were not a couple and this was not her baby.

She could not be there and she could not - would not - ask for the liberty.

Regina frowned and softly touched the crease between Emma's eyebrows, "What are you thinking about?"

Emma smiled, caught, "How cute your new outie belly button is."

Regina smiled and with that Emma picked the book back up continuing to read.

It wasn't long before the brunette's eyes began to flutter and then to close, peacefully. Emma continued to read for a chapter just to be sure she was completely asleep so the absence of her voice wouldn't wake her just as she always did. She would simply read the chapter again tomorrow.

Slowly she slid from the bed and tightly wrapped the blanket around Regina making sure she was nice and warm as she liked and brushed a bit of hair from her eyes. She knew Regina hated to sleep with hair in her face. Silently she slipped to the door and clicked off the light, taking one last heartsick look at the place she wished she belonged before tip-toeing back to her own room.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She flew through the hedges of the station's front yard, leaping wildly over the rod iron fence, needing to take the most direct route possible despite the obstacles that might lay in her way. She nearly toppled as her foot hit the trash can in front of Any Given Sunday but with some luck she stayed up, her heart pounding frantically in her ears. Of course this would be the day that the Beetle was in the shop. Of. Course. She dived headlong through the crowd in front of Granny's, screaming her apologizes over her shoulder as she went.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Ruby hollered as she passed.

Emma applied the breaks, all but leaving skid marks in her wake as she found the only reason worth even a second of pause.

"Ruby! Ruby!" she gasped, grabbing the tall brunette's arms in her own shaking hands, "Henry. Three o'clock."

Ruby beamed, understanding and nodded enthusiastically.

Like a racehorse at the track Emma was off again at top speed, her breath ripping in and out of her throat as she ran.

Thank god she was in shape. Thank god Storybrooke was small.

Finally seeing the small hospital up the street she doubled her efforts, ignoring the pain in her legs, sprinting until she practically fell into the building.

"You idiots! This cannot be that hard! Is this not what hospitals _do_?"

Emma finally took a deep breath hearing Regina's cold and angry voice, relief rushing through her. As she rounded the corner the cold glass eyes of The Mayor melted into liquid chocolate and she was sure she saw the same relief mirrored there. "Emma."

Taking Regina's hands in her own she squeezed tightly and smiled, "Hey stranger. Nice wheelchair."

Regina smiled desperately at her squeezing a bit harder than she meant to, "They won't let me walk."

"Well you know, it's that whole in labor thing."

Regina smiled and squeezed her hands tighter, "How'd you know I was here? I wasn't going to call you until afterward."

Emma chuckled, she had been all too aware of Regina's secret plan to 'avoid Emma worrying' for weeks now, "Sydney called me."

Fury flashed across Regina's face for a moment before it settled and she nodded, smiling a bit.

"All right Ms. Mills, your room is ready. I'm sorry for the wait."

"You ready?" Emma asked softly, into the woman's fingers.

Regina hiccuped and shook her head.

"What? No! Of course you are. Regina, you've got this."

Regina smiled tearfully, barely restrained panic in the corners of her watery eyes.

Emma didn't want to go so she huffed and forced herself to squeeze Regina's fingers fiercely then released her, standing and taking a step back, "Go on. Go meet that little bump."

Regina nodded; hands gripped tightly on the arms of the chair, the white knuckles letting Emma know just how scared the woman was.

She held the brown eyes until Regina was turned, the nurse wheeling her slowly away from her.

Emma bounced back and forth from foot to foot, tears sliding down her cheeks as she watched her go hating this, hating that the woman was going into that room alone. She shook a bit, still catching her breath as fear and worry crashed down on her so harshly her knees almost buckled under it's weight.

_No, no, no, no. This isn't right I should be in there._

"Wait! Emma?" Regina stomped her heels into the ground, forcing them to a stop and screeching her name in a shrill panicked voice.

The moment Emma heard it she launch herself forward and back to the brunette's side, clutching her fingers again.

Regina had turned deathly pale in the last few seconds and her eyes had grown wild. "Don't leave. Don't leave."

Joy crashed in on her, the weight so much more then the fear had been, "Okay. I won't. I'm not going anywhere, Regina."

She followed her into the room, holding her hands tightly as they both shook with both fear and elation.

 

* * *

 

As Regina sat quietly in her bed Emma began to quickly bounce from foot to foot again, chewing on her thumbnail feeling Regina's dark annoyed eyes follow her. The only labor and deliveries Emma had ever seen were on television or in the movies so when Regina wasn't immediately pushing the little girl out Emma didn't know what to do with herself. Even her pregnancy books hadn't shed light on this state of the process. She knew what she needed to do in a few hours; she knew the positions Regina could sit and stand in that would minimize the pain, she knew what types of things to say and what to expect to see...but what she didn't know how to handle was what to do when it wasn't time for any of that yet.

Regina began to squirm and Emma nearly had a panic attack, "Is that a contraction?"

Regina, frowning deeply, "Right now I'm just uncomfortable."

Emma nodded, softly rubbing her arm as the face slackened back to normal "Maybe you should try and get some sleep before you get too uncomfortable."

"Henry. You have to pick up Henry at three."

Emma smiled and squeezed her fingers again, "I already asked Ruby."

Regina smiled, "Thank you, dear."

"Sleep." Emma turned to sit in the chair by the bed but Regina held fast to her shirt, panic clear the moment that Emma made to step away. Understanding instantly Emma kicked off her shoes and squeezed in next to her, letting Regina's huge belly fall into her lap as Regina sought comfort against her.

Humming Emma softly brushed her fingers against the woman's forehead, soothing until she felt the stiff worry leave the body and slip into slumber.

* * *

 

Emma was just beginning to watch as Regina's unconscious face started to flex in her sleep. The contractions while not enough to wake her quite yet were clearly causing her an increasing amount of pain.

She heard the footsteps of the little boy stampede coming down the hall and cringed. She was happy to see Henry every single time he walked through a door but she was hoping he wouldn't wake his mother. She had a feeling that once Regina was awake there would be no more sleeping until the delivery. Loud heels clicking after the sounds of little Converse told Emma that Ruby was racing after him probably knowing that Regina could be in any state by this point and trying to stop the boy from running in on his mother.

"Mom! Mom!" Henry yelled rounding the corner and Regina woke with a grimace, suddenly conscious of the pain; her hands balling in Emma's shirt.

"Ah, man, nice work kid!" Emma said in a soft growl but kissed his forehead.

"Henry." Regina smiled and kissed his face.

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry's little brow furrowed worry etched deeply there.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

Ruby finally made it around the corner huffing just a bit and apologized, "I tried to catch him but damn he's fast."

Henry grinned proudly.

Emma saw Ruby's eyes sweep over the two women intimately clutched in bed and look away. Emma blushed.

"All right, mamas." The nurse rounded the corner, "Lets see where we are."

Emma felt her heart rip open at the nurse's words, pain, joy and longing coursing through her veins. It was a simple misunderstanding, a forgivable and easily made one but all four of the other people tensed before chuckling awkwardly or shuffling their feet and avoiding eye contact. Emma caught sight of Regina's apologetic smile and though Emma pretended not to see it Regina didn't complain when Emma slipped out of the bed.

"Okay Henry," Emma clapped him on the back, "your mom is about to be examined so we should probably go."

"Emma?" Regina shrilled, her eyes instantly round.

Emma smiled sadly touching her cheek, "I'll be back right back" knowing that she would be even if it hurt because Regina needed her.

 

Ruby caught her elbow as they left the room to head toward the waiting room. Emma hadn't realized her arms were tightly wrapped around herself but she knew she needed to step away for a minute else give away the pain she was feeling.

"Hey, Emma, are you okay?"

She smiled lightly at her friend, traitor tears leaking lightly from the corners of her eyes. With a sympathetic sigh, Ruby hugged her tightly, "Just _say_ something to her."

"What?" Emma pulled back surprised and not at all ready or willing to have her heart on her sleeve.

"Just tell her you want to be there in the future."

She sniffed gruffly, "If Regina wanted me to be there she would have told me. Trust me, she doesn't." With that, she went to be sure that Henry was comfortable in the waiting room before returning to his mother.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She had heard the woman's accidental assumption about the two women in the labor and delivery room. It had made her heart beat fast. She had been about to laugh it off when she saw the devastation raw and carnal wash across her blonde's face. Regina had gasped audibly, confused and hurt by the pain she saw there.

She knew that they had feelings for one another, she wasn't stupid but this – this face – the face of her broken by words, love ripped sharp welts in her soul.

What could she do? She was a mother of _two._ That wasn't a fair trade for Emma. It wasn't fair to suddenly plunge the woman into such a domestic life. Emma was young. It wasn't time for her to settle yet.  Besides Emma had made it clear that she wanted nothing but sex from the brunette. _Emma_ had been the one to insist the last time they had touched that it would be a one-night thing only. Emma didn't want more. But that face spoke volumes that Regina simply had not realized.

She felt Emma's departure from the bed as a physical pain and though she wanted to pull her back to her, she gave her the space that she clearly needed. She watched as Emma fought her sad eyes, affectionately ruffling Henry's hair. "- we should probably go."

_No!_

Without meaning to the brunette called out for Emma, blushing at the pathetic quality to her voice.

Emma reassuring her kept the fear away but barely. As she watched Emma take Henry to the waiting room she wondered something she had never thought to question before. She had always assumed that Emma knew but maybe – Did Emma not know that Regina, in all of her faults and all of her glory, loved her with every passionate inch and breath of her body?

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She had forced Regina to walk with her, stiffly keeping her moving to try to forget about the pain. She had tried forcing the woman to rock on the birthing ball but nothing had helped. She was resigned now to simply forcing Regina to stay on all fours so she could press and knead her lower back and hips, trying to draw as much of the pain from her body as possible while the formerly terrifying mayor whimpered.

 

Emma's head had cleared and she was focused. They were in active labor and Regina's almost constant animalistic cries let her know just how much pain she was feeling as the contractions bent and warped her every few minutes.

 

"There has to be something you can do!" Emma snarled at the nurse, channeling her very best Regina impersonation. The nurse just shrugged and reminded her yet again that Regina had chosen a natural birth plan. "If you have a problem with it then talk to your wife, ma'am."

Emma rolled her eyes.

 

She cooed her words of encouragement to Regina and waited; one more centimeter and it would be game time.

 

The doctor swooped in every now and then to be sure they were doing all right and give Regina some kind but utterly generic words of encouragement before disappearing again.

 

"Ahh!" Regina wailed, stiffening yet again, "this feels different! This feels different. Emma! Why does this feel different?"

 

Adrenaline pushed through Emma as she screamed for the nurse whom, without hesitation or worry for Regina's modesty, flipped the paper grown up and checked her dilation.

 

"Yup, we're ready. I'll go get the doctor."

 

"You hear that?" Emma encouraged, helping the woman onto her back, "You're ready. It's time!" She ignored Regina's glare that was like fire and the way that her hand clamped vise-like on Emma's own, grinding the bones.

 

The doctor came bustling in and quickly explained what it was time for her to do. Emma braced herself at the head of the bed for whatever Regina wanted from her, willing to give her anything. "You can do this." She swore as the coffee eyes, darkened with pain, burrowed into hers. "You can do this, Regina. Just think about Cora. You're going to meet Cora soon." She took her hand as Regina writhed and did her best to show no sign that the pain Regina was pulling from it was exponential.

 

"Okay Ms. Mills, are you ready to try a push?"

 

Tears slipping from the corners of Regina's eyes, she nodded. Clasping tighter to Emma's hand her head shot upward in excursion reminding Emma of _that_  night all of those long nine months ago.

 

There were two long hours of this. Regina screaming. Emma unable to help her.

It was pure torture. Two long hours before the doctor cried in elation that she could see her head.

 

Frantically curious Emma looked, head swimming at the sight, "Whoa Regina, how the fuck are you doing this?"

 

She jumped, apologizing as angry hands reached for her throat.

 

"I think just a few more pushes and she will be here."

 

"You hear that, Regina?" She clasped the woman's hand again her tears of elation matching Regina's tears of pain, "She's almost here." She whispered. Those wonderful eyes locked onto Emma's and she smiled, "She's almost here. Just a few more okay?" She nodded with Regina for a few moments before, without an ounce of thought; she kissed her – hard and passionately. Regina didn't seem to notice that there was anything unusual in this, accepting the kiss and keeping her eyes trained on Emma's face.

 

Eyes snapped shut as red-faced Regina gave her all. Emma barely heard the doctor cry that the head was out, spilling all of her will into the woman to keep her going until she was finished.

 

"Last one, last one" the nurses encouraged and with a scream that ripped Emma right to the core of herself she felt Regina gasp in release and suddenly there she was. Covered in goo of all types and colors being placed on her mother's chest.

 

Disbelief rocked Emma as she was sure for a just a moment she could feel those four heartbeats again.

 

Emma and Regina's faces crumpled into tears as the baby, being wiped quickly with a hand towel twitched her head and let out her first high-pitched wail.

 

The nurses busied themselves with the weighing and annotating of every little detail of the infant while Regina clutched tightly to Emma asking questions like "Is she okay? How does she look? I didn't get to see her face. Does she have all of her toes? Do you see any freckles?"

 

"Yeah, yeah," Emma strained her neck breathlessly to see the baby, "she's beautiful Regina."

 

"Yeah?" Regina asked, tears pouring again.

 

"Yeah." She could feel the truth pour out of her "she's the most beautiful thing in the world."

 

Giggling breathlessly she kissed Emma again, deeply, palming her jaw and then the newly cleaned baby was wrapped and placed into her mother's anxious arms.

 

Awe filled Emma as she scooted onto the bed against Regina and stared, her gravity shifting to the little bundle as she willing began to orbit it.

**Regina:**

* * *

 

The beautiful little face below her puckered and sighed as if she were sniffing the air and then slowly, almost as if waking from a long sleep her tiny eyes fluttered and opened. The beautiful green there pierced straight through Regina. They were the same shade Henry's had been when she had gotten him only a few days after his birth. She chuckled and had reminded herself that she couldn't have Henry's eyes since Henry was adopted but still, looking to them she would swear – oh, she was tired.

 

"Do you want hold her?"

 

Emma flushed, only nodding before taking the bundle into her arms rocking softly. "Hello, Cora." Emma whispered and kissed the baby's cheek, "Hello."

 

"No." Regina shook her head touching the soft scalp of the newborn.

 

"No?"

 

"Sarah."

 

"What?" Emma's eyes shot up into Regina's and the brunette felt a physical jolt.

 

"Sarah. Her name is Sarah, remember?"

 

Dawn broke across Emma's face. Regina had held steadfast through the entire pregnancy that though they could call the little girl whatever they liked, she would be named in honor of her late mother. Now though, seeing those beautiful green eyes Regina knew that even if she had wanted her to be a Cora this little girl was no one but a Sarah.

 

Then Henry came rushing in followed, respectfully, by Ruby. If either was surprised to find Emma sitting in her bed again holding the little bump, they didn't show it.

 

"Hey kid, we won." Emma smiled as Henry, amazement etched on his face, softly touched his sister's cheek.

 

"We won?"

 

Regina laughed, knowing Emma's meaning.

 

"We won. Sarah."

 

Henry rolled his eyes, "I told you she was a Sarah."

 

Regina nodded, "Sarah Cora Mills."

* * *

 

The next twenty-four hours were bliss. The three of them taking turns holding the little girl, Henry's uncomfortably exiting the room each time the little girl wailed with hunger - only to sneak back to Sarah's side a bit later, addicted to the little thing.

Emma understood completely, addiction was the best word to describe the sensation. She couldn't get enough. She couldn't get enough of the infants smell. She couldn't get enough of the infants little sounds. When Sarah yawned for the first time Emma felt her head swim, suddenly weak. She couldn't get enough of the little girls mother either or the warm motherly glow that seemed to pour from Regina. Even Henry in his adorable awkwardness suddenly felt like Emma's life air. Emma only left late in the evening as Regina and Sarah slept to bring Henry's to Ruby's for the night and to be sure that everything was ready for the family to come home in the morning.

 

She straightened the house, knowing that it was already clean enough. She, after a lot of swearing, locked the car seat into the Benz and carefully adjusted the co-sleeper in the middle of Regina's huge bed. The last thing she did before returning to the hospital was make sure a huge bouquet of pink roses sat on Regina's dresser.

 

When the four of them crossed the threshold Henry bounced excitedly introducing Sarah to their home.

 

By Emma's insistence Regina and Sarah headed straight upstairs to rest in Regina's bed.

 

Emma smiled a little as, holding Sarah so Regina could become comfortable, the brunette's eyes fell on the flowers. "Emma, those are beautiful. Thank you."

 

Regina reached up and assuming that she was reaching for Sarah. Emma leaned to give her to her but instead Regina pulled her in by the neck and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

 

Emma flushed, heart suddenly pounding. This was the first kiss they had shared since the passionate moments of child birth and while Emma didn't know what it meant, she knew she wanted more of them.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Regina:**

* * *

 

Everyone who had ever told her the first two weeks with a new baby was hard, well they simply had sold the experience short. She was exhausted. Emma was exhausted. Even Henry was exhausted. Sarah was waking up every three hours all night to be fed and changed. Neither women were sleeping contentedly with Sarah between them - they couldn't sleep long enough to feel rested.

She didn't know what she would do without Emma who, while couldn't feed the infant got up numerous times a night to be sure all Regina had to do was feed her and go back to sleep, taking care of all diaper changes and burpings.

 

Slightly lethargically she and Emma pulled together everything of Sarah's they needed to leave the house. It was the first time they were going to leave the house since the birth; but even for a simple meal at Granny's it seemed like in order to have everything they might need to bring a Uhaul.

 

But they did manage to eventually get out of the house and into Granny's. Regina slid into a booth as soon as they arrived still sore but recovering surprisingly quickly and watched affectionately as Emma showed off the little bundle.

 

They hadn't spoken about the change in their relationship, perhaps too exhausted to do it. Each night they crawled into bed together and while they might kiss and caress for a moment both were usually asleep before it occurred to them to have the conversation.

Though perhaps it wasn't necessary, perhaps they could –

 

_** BOOM ** _

 

A sound like a meteor hitting the streets of Storybrooke shook the walls of the diner, making everyone shriek and Sarah stir awake, bellowing.

 

"What the hell was that?"

 

Regina blinked stunned at the sheriff, perplexed and a little uneasy.

 

"Here" Emma gently placed the infant in the carrier next to Regina and checking she had her gun with her, as she always did, she called to David the deputy who sat looking stunned as everyone else with his wife across the room.

 

Panic flooded through Regina as she quickly understood that Emma was going to investigate. She flew to her feet about to ask her if she really needed to when –

 

_ **BOOM** _

 

The doors of the diner opened, crashing into the walls so hard that all framed pictures in the restaurant fell with a deafening crash. Regina shrieked, fear flooding through her as checked that both of her children were unharmed. Though screaming Sarah was unhurt, protected by the arms that Henry had thrown over her.

 

Slowly, though the dust that flew through the air, step-by-step her navy blue dress flowing in the wind the woman stepped through the door.

 

She stared dumbfounded taking in the red lips, the brunette up-do and the chiseled chin. Regina's eyes finally met the staring eyes of the woman, the chocolate eyes – her own eyes and she slowly slid to the ground, everything around her going black.

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Emma watched horrified as Regina's knees buckled, her eyes rolled and she slumped into a dead faint. She moved to fly to her side but was rooted to the spot as the woman who looked so much like her Regina spoke, "Uh - uh Savior. I would give her some space. You see, she's had quite a shock."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I should get the remaining chapters up today if everything goes well. I think after that I'm going to immediately start something new. I can't decide between two ideas. One would be a complete AU with no magic at all about the women in Chicago. Though I don't want to go into the entire plot it's going to be a very simple but sweet love story, much closer to the type of fiction I normally do. (Note from Liv: This is the one I wrote. It's called The Loudest Silence) The other (which was my favorite) would be about the reversal in roles between good and evil in Emma and Regina. I was most excited about the latter a few weeks ago but now that I know the show is probably doing it I'm not sure I want to! I have a feeling we will be flooded with those types of stories soon. Granted, my jumping off point was going to be in the first season but regardless of that I'm not sure.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think guys and enjoy! Hope I can indeed get it all out for you!

 

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

Regina was shocked to find herself on the dirty floor of the diner, "What the hell happened?" Then she remembered and her eyes cartwheeled around the room until she found the woman "Mother?"

 

Cora laughed, darkly, "Hello, Regina."

 

Emma looked back at the woman still sitting on the floor, confused and on edge, "Mother? You told me your mother was dead."

 

Regina's jaw trembled for a moment working hard to get the words out, "She is."

 

"Regina." Cora chided as if to say, don't be so stupid, "Do I look dead to you, dear?"

 

"I don't understand. I remember - " The memories flooded back to her of that horrible afternoon. They had been in her kitchen, Henry in his high chair when midsentence a slight flush had fallen across her mother's face. The flush would have been beautiful if Cora's eyes hadn't slowly rolled into her head as she slumped to the floor, dead before Regina had even tried to reach her. The stroke had taken her instantly.

 

Cora smirked wickedly, arrogance excitedly buzzing around her, "Oh no, Regina. You don't remember but that's all right." She smiled even wider before whispering, "You're not supposed to."

 

They all sat silent for a moment absorbing the menacing feeling radiating from the woman before Regina finally regaining her stance and tried to clear her head. This was impossible. Her mother – her mother who had died so tragically – was here. "Mother." Regina breathed, a pang of pleasure snuck through her and she moved to the woman into her arms, longing to hold her and be held by her again.

 

As she moved to embrace her a sudden pulse of energy vibrated in the room and as Cora held her fingers out. Regina froze in place. It wasn't of Regina's own accord and fear filled her as her feet refused to move from the spot.

"Wha?" Regina's heart began to pick up, panicking.

Cora tisked, "Those memories I gave you must be good. Regina, dear. We don't hug and even if we did - I'm not here for you." She turned on her heels releasing her hold on her daughter. She rounded with a breathtaking yet terrifying grin to the table where Henry sat, clutching the baby carrier holding Sarah, "Now. What I came for. The child."

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Emma threw herself between the woman and the children. She didn't understand what was happening but she knew she didn't trust the woman or the wicked twinkle in her eyes. She wasn't going to get any closer to them.

 

"Why Savior, some things are just ingrained into you, aren't they? I thought I weeded this pesky need to protect out of you. I suppose I didn't give you enough passive memories to make it really _stick_. You're _so_ much like your mother."

 

Emma scowled, "My moth- what? And why do you keep calling me that?"

 

Cora just chuckled and took another step toward the table.

 

"Stop!" Emma yelled one hand reaching to stop Cora, the other held protectively behind her, pleased to see David turn his gun on the woman. This woman was getting past her and if she tried David would take her out.

 

There was a small gasp behind her and several people skittered away as if the woman behind her had suddenly sprouted three heads.

 

Emma risked a small a small glance behind her and did a double take. Regina was frozen hand half extended toward Emma, staring with eyes as large as saucers. "What?"

 

"Emma, look." Regina pointed to Emma's fingers but that just drew Emma's attention to Regina's own.

She swore, confused. Fiery purple sparks hissed and spit from Regina's fingers glowing angrily. "The hell?" Then Emma saw that her own fingers were sizzling too, white sparks shot from the tips like a fourth of July sparkler. "What the hell, Regina?"

A sudden pull toward Regina filled her gut, yearning, reaching, begging for her fingers to lock into her own. Spellbound Emma wasn't sure why she did it but slowly, eyes holding Regina's she reached forward and touched the tips of her fingers to the brunettes.

 

There was a clap as loud as thunder as a rainbowed ring went fizzling in every direction from their lightly touching fingers out. Instantly Emma dropped to her knees, not feeling the pain from falling on the glass from the fallen picture frames, as memories shoved their way into her brain. Henry appearing on the doorstep of her apartment on her birthday, the son she had never expected to see; the son she had given up so she could have his best chance. Regina's eyes flashing as she whispered her first uncomfortable and awkward hi. Fighting over Henry with the ferocity of a wounded lion. The fist fight in the graveyard where she had, with pleasure, punched her love in the face. Henry's body slumping to the ground, the apple turnover still cupped in his hand. Breaking the curse. Her parents. The Enchanted Forest. Defeating Cora. Defeating Greg and Tamara. Defeating Pan. The kiss.

 

Her eyes stumbled and tripped to Regina's and, for a moment, they remembered together the kiss that had been shared after Neverland. The kiss that had taken place in the middle of the Main Street that night of the welcome home party. The kiss that had shattered every streetlight on the block simultaneously in a shower of sparks. That kiss that had spoke of secret things like providence and fate. The lust they had both felt, along with strong denial that had sent them both skittering to home...alone. And then the next morning as they went out their daily routine - the curse. The curse that had appeared in the sky without any warning, coming at an accelerated rate over the trees. They had huddled together; she and Regina, their son and her parents as they hugged goodbye, knowing there was simply nothing they could do – and then waking standing confused in the street with the four strangers unsure why she was there before shuffling toward work.

 

She saw, in that moment, all of her memories written across Regina's face as well.

 

They had been cursed – and the touch of Regina and Emma's magic twisted fingers had broken it. Emma wiped her nose as the memories began to slow to find a trickle of blood there.

 

Her eyes fell on Regina again. They had been cursed.

Instantly, Regina and Emma spun together toward Cora white and purple lightening trapping her in her place, bringing her with a cry to her knees; their combined magic was strong.

 

Cora scoffed, visibly shaken, "And here I thought it was only True Loves Kiss that could break a curse."

 

"Egotism it's finest, mother." Regina growled. "Why mother? What was the point of all of this?" Regina stepped around Emma suddenly for the first time in months completely The Queen again, her back straight and tall. She had become weak in the curse, vulnerable but now...she was forbidding.

 

Cora's head rolled on her shoulders as she laughed, "Why Regina. If _I_ couldn't have my happy ending then _you_ couldn't have yours!"

 

A twitch ran through the side of Regina's lip for just a moment and Emma knew they were wondering the same thing. When had Regina found her happy ending?

 

_The kiss._

 

Cora laughed harder, straining a little under the bonds of the magic, "Come now, Regina. I did you a favor."

 

"A favor?" Regina's lip curled, a feral snarl ripping from her lips.

 

"Yes _, a favor."_ She snarled back, "With your memories gone – when you were no longer The Savior and The Evil Queen, you two fell into one another's arms rather quickly, didn't you? I took away the obstacles! You fell in love, made a baby and moved in together in less than a year!" Cora spat the words as if they were something vile on her tongue.

 

Emma was so shocked that for a moment she nearly dropped her hold on the woman, "What?"

 

She glanced at Regina and saw the same astonished look on her face.

 

"Of course that was not my intention, Regina dear. My intention was to make you forget your True Love, to keep you two apart trapped in your former loathing but then, oh then" Cora was clearly relishing a delicious joke, "when I discovered that The Savior had gotten The Evil Queen pregnant, oh! Imagine my delight."

 

This time Emma did lose her grasp on the woman for a moment making Regina bellow.

 

"What?" Emma yelled, "What are you talking about? I can't make a baby with Regina. Do you need a basic anatomy lesson, Cora?"

 

For the first time her mother, Snow, across the room made a small noise and stepped by her side, "We'll explain it later, Emma honey."

 

"Okay. Okay, so you took away our happy ending because you think I'm Regina's true love and you want her miserable. That sounds like you. Why do you want Sarah?" she felt her reins on the woman constricting.

 

"The daughter of The Evil Queen and The Savior? Can you imagine the power that child will have? She is the key. She is my happy ending. An ending filled with riches and power beyond that of The Dark One; that is what I will achieve when I take her power." She groaned a bit as the mother's clenched tight.

 

"Ruby!" Emma bellowed, not taking her eye from Cora, "Go get Rumplest - "

 

"Oh no, dear." Cora laughed deep and dark, "There will be no need for that."

In a fury of purple smoke Cora vanished and their magical grips suddenly holding thin air.

 

Panic danced in Emma's chest. They had waited too long. They had asked too many questions before securing Cora permanently and now she had gotten away. Still some relief flooded her as she dropped her exhausted arms. "Mom!" Henry bellowed, throwing himself into Emma's arms. She squeezed him tightly, breathing him in. She couldn't believe she had forgotten her son.

 

Then her parents were around her, hugging tightly. She hugged them both but Emma's eyes searched. Finally, she found Regina slowly scooping Sarah out of the carrier and studying her as if in shock, elation and mourning all at once.

 

Emma broke away from her family wanting to run to her, wanting to take her in her arms and kiss her with all of the passion the world had ever known. "Are you okay?" she asked, patting Regina down, looking for any wounds.

 

"I'm fine, Ms. Swan." Regina barked, eyes flashing at her in warning. Emma stepped back, slapped as everything slipped into place. This wasn't just Regina - the Regina she had grown to love while cursed. This wasn't just the woman she had shared a bed with the night before. This was Regina Mills. The Evil Queen. The Mayor. Henry's adopted mother. And her former nemesis.

Cora said she was her True Love. Tension built uncomfortably between them, the air crackling. She didn't know if she wanted to punch the woman or make love to her. Instead, she ignored her personal space and carefully lifted Sarah out of her arms to her, studying her face.

 

"She has your eyes." Regina's voice shook in a way that Emma had only heard once - when the woman was delivering the baby. "I remember thinking after she was born that she had the same eyes as Henry. I laughed at myself at the time but now –"

 

Dumbfounded Emma cleared her throat and asked the room at large, eyes never leaving her daughter, "Can anybody tell me how I made a baby with Regina?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Regina:**

* * *

 

 _True Love_. Of course the only answer anyone had been True Love. The god damn Charming's and their god damned _True Love_.

 

Deciding that there was no way Cora would attack again until she had time to come up with a new plan; they had spent hours interrogating Emma's parents and Rumpelstiltskin. It hadn't taken long to determine that Cora had been telling the truth about Sarah's biological parents, as wondrous as that was. The little girl had Emma's eyes, Regina's nose, Mary's lips and Cora's chin. There had been no question before Rumpelstiltskin's magic tests.

 

"Have you not, and please answer this politely, felt yourself increasingly drawn to Regina as the baby grew, dearie?" Rumple had asked Emma who, in response, had only cleared her throat and scuffed her shoe against the floor. "Quite right." He confirmed, "That was the pull of your True Love carrying _your_ baby. Add Henry to the mix and I'm surprised you didn't move in sooner."

 

"But I still don't understand _how_ I got Regina pregnant."

 

Snow had stepped lightly to her daughter and affectionately squeezed her arm, "Emma, um – the old fashioned way. Did you and Regina, um –" Emma had looked everywhere but at the faces turned to her. "Right. Well it's a byproduct of True Love. Couples who can't normally get pregnant together - can. If the love is there, they um magically make a baby."

 

Regina had understood the moment her memories had been returned. A considerable weight had been lifted off of Regina now that she knew understood the conception of her beautiful green-eyed daughter. Nothing horrible had happened to her, she hadn't been forced to forget anything. It had simply been Emma on their first night of passion.

 

"But I didn't love her then!" Emma had cried confused, sending indescribable feelings of shock and warmth through Regina. Did that mean she loved her now?

 

"And how would you explain the streetlights on Main then?" Rumple asked with just a slight tilt of his head.

 

Snow had gasped, her fingers flying to her lips, "True Loves kiss."

 

Regina had scoffed, unable to listen anymore.

 

The only thing that didn't sound completely ridiculous was the speculation on how the curse was ended. This had come from Emma and Regina was sure that's why it didn't sound like foolish drivel. She had supposed that they had always been able to do magic since they had created Sarah while cursed. Perhaps the curse had simply made them forget that they could do it or even that it existed at all. It had been seeing something so "magical", joining magically, that had released them.

 

They had walked home from Granny's the four of them, against David's insistence. Though Henry was elated about the parentage of his sister and babbling about the curse while the silence between the women gained in strength with each step.

 

Regina had put Henry to bed with difficulty and after a quick feeding for Sarah she had put her in her hanging bassinette. She hesitated then. Was she ready to face all of this and what it all meant?

 

She knew she had no choice but to stop avoiding Emma. So heels clicking softly, she rounded the corner to the living room.

 

Emma was sitting on the couch, cradling a glass of wine, tears pouring down her pale cheeks in rivers. She jumped the moment the she saw Regina.

 

Regina's heart leapt and she had to fight her temptation to run to her side. Was she hurt? What had happened?

 

Emma wiped her face clean, "I'm sorry."

 

Regina cleared her throat a bit, hesitating at the door but materializing a box of tissues in front of the blonde. She hadn't done magic for the better part of a year and yet, it felt so natural, "What's wrong?"

 

Emma looked for a moment like she wasn't going to say before taking a huge shuddering breath, "I just have spent the past six months crying every night because I could not be part of this family and now –" the let the sentence drop.

 

Regina's heart constricted and she felt confusion flush through her. The dichotomy of The Savior she met before the curse whom she hated and Emma whom she had met after and loved – that was something that made her head spin.

 

She sat, primly on the edge of the couch across from the woman, "It would seem we are in a rather awkward situation, Ms. Swan."

 

"Regina, please don't start the Ms. Swan thing again. You had my baby enough with the formalities." Regina flushed and looked away. "I still can't believe Sarah's mine."

 

There was silence for a while until finally Emma looked up and found her eyes, holding them tightly, "Now what do we do?"

 

Humid and clammy heat filled the room as they stared at one another. Regina felt herself twitching, restraining herself from leaping off the couch and onto Emma, releasing the passion she felt, the passion she had been holding back for months. They had an excuse now, a reason to allow it. True Love. You couldn't fight True Love.

 

The air popped and crackled again.

 

Only – it wasn't quite that simple.

 

"We fight my mother. She will come back eventually and when she does we need to be prepared."

 

* * *

 

She couldn't be in the same room with her, not anymore. That was just a fact. The moment Regina found herself within reaching distance of Emma the eagerly seeking tendrils of passion the woman was only barely holding back would slither free and attach itself to her, slowly pulling them into one another. When they both reached for the same cup in the cupboard and their fingers brushed both would yelp and leave the room quickly making excuses for their departure as they went. Handling Sarah had become impossible because there was no way to hand an infant over to someone else without touching them.

And Henry's questions...oh god.

 

Regina found it ridiculous and – and devastating heartbreaking.

 

She would turn a corner and find Emma on the couch, making obtuse faces at the baby girl and Regina's heart would swell so large she was sure it would burst. Then Emma would look at her, something like disdain crossing her face, and Regina's heart would break for the woman. In the search for True Love, Emma Swan had been screwed. Someone had checked the wrong box somewhere and she knew:

 

 _The Savior would never accept The Evil Queen as her True Love_.

**Emma:**

* * *

 

"I don't understand!" Henry cried stomping a foot in perfect reflection of his mother. "You heard what Mr. Gold said. You guys had Sarah, that means she's your True Love; like your grandma and gramps."

 

"I heard him, kid." She said sadly, tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper.

 

"Then I don't understand. Why have you moved back to the spare room?" He stared at her wide-eyed and challenging in what Emma knew was a perfect reflection of his other mother.

 

Emma sighed. She didn't know how to explain to the kid that _The Evil Queen would never want The Savior for a True Love_.


	17. Chapter 17

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Just because she had vacated the Queens bed didn't mean she was going to do a bad job as a mother. She rolled over, exhausted but pulled herself up as she heard the whimpering in the baby monitor.

 

"Hey, hey" Regina's voice softly cooed to the little girl and began to hum the same tune that Emma had hummed to Sarah through her pregnancy. Emma felt a whimper of sadness run through her as she listened.

 

"I'm here. I'm here." Emma said bumping harshly against the doorframe as she entered Regina's room. Regina was sitting up in the dark, the child cradled against her lovingly as she fed her.

 

"There's no need for us both to be up every night like this." Regina said, not looking at Emma.

 

Emma scowled and sat on the bed, her own side of the bed as a matter of fact - until a few nights ago. She couldn't help but to note that the co - sleeper had been moved from the center of the bed to Regina's own side, a tiny add-on space just for the baby. With a frown she guessed she had done it because now there was no one to sleep on the other side and keep the infant safe.

Good to see she's missing me as much as I'm missing her, Emma thought sleepily sarcastic.

 

Wait, was Regina saying that Emma didn't need to get up with her daughter anymore? That it was silly for her to? When Regina had first given in to the idea that Emma would not be leaving she and Henry alone they had this type of argument all of the time. Were they going to start having it over Sarah now too? "I've always taken her after you feed her. Why should that change now?"

 

Regina sneered, "Because things are different now."

 

Emma felt a bitter splash. They didn't have to be. Or perhaps, they should be different now...they could be better.

 

"Do you mind, Ms. Swan?"

 

Emma jumped at the authoritative voice of The Queen. She had fallen to watching her daughter as she nursed. It was her favorite pastime; watching the girls hands open and close against the olive skin, her eyelashes fluttering while love like she had never felt before bubbled in her gut. "What?"

 

"A little privacy?"

 

Emma didn't bother to hide her groan of annoyance, "Regina I've watched you feed our daughter every night for the past few weeks. It's not like I haven't seen your breast before." She might have been flying off the handle a little bit. "This is not how this is going to go. You're not going to keep me from this and you're not going to keep me from her. If you want to ignore our destiny then fine but you're not keeping me from our family." She stomped out of the room exclaiming that she would be back to change and rock Sarah after her next feeding, the door magically closing behind her.

 

It felt like minutes later when she heard the shrill cry of her baby through the monitors again. She sighed, covering her face with a pillow stalling not for the sake of sleep but simply because she didn't want to see those aloof eyes on her again. She had said our destiny – to Regina – out loud. Ugh, she wasn't going to be able to look the woman in the eye!

 

She waited a few more minutes not bothering this time to pull shorts on over her underwear as she normally did. What did it matter anyway? She stumbled as she made it the few feet down the hall and banged even harder than last time into the door frame making Sarah, newly calmed begin to cry again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She yawned. "Is she done eating?"

 

"Are you sure you are awake enough to take her?"

 

Emma was immediately back to the agitated state she had left the room in a few hours before. She was not going to fight over this. "What did I say earlier? You are not going to keep me from my children, Regina."

 

"I'm not trying to."

 

Eyebrow raised Emma reached for their daughter and was secretly pleased when she was handed over without a fight. "Thank you." She said softly though the fire still roared through her veins. She knew it wouldn't take much to set her off at this moment.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

She was supposed to be going back to sleep, that was the entire point of this plan but instead she still sat leaning against the headboard watching Emma pace slowly back and forth and coo.

 

She couldn't deny that the blonde looked wonderful, pacing in her tank and panties, the moonlight catching her hair through the window and making it glow; casting her into silhouette. A craving for the woman's body and soul swept through her as she watched her carefully bounce their daughter.

 

Emma frowned when she saw Regina still sitting up, "You can trust me with her you, know. You always did before the curse was broken. You don't need to babysit me."

 

"Emma, I'm not babysitting you."

 

"Then go back to sleep."

 

"I will."

 

Emma frowned a bit but clearly with work, bit back whatever she had wanted to say.

 

"I'm sorry." Regina finally mumbled, releasing the statement she had wanted to say since their True Love discovery.

 

"For?" Fed, changed and burped the baby finally stopped fussing in her mother's arms, drifting back to sleep for a few more hours.

 

"I'm sorry that you have been screwed."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

She fiddled with her ring, unable to look up from her sheets, uncharacteristically reserved. She needed Emma to understand that she felt sympathy for her. She needed to apologize. "The True Love revelation; I know it's not fair to you. I know it could have been Neal or anyone else in your life, should have been Neal or someone else in your life but you got stuck with me. I can tell you've been angry so I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. Trust me, I understand."

 

Emma stood at the foot of the bed; eyes dark under her lashes for once looking as though she were the one who had the potential for evil coursing through her veins. For just a moment Regina could feel fury ripple off of the woman like lashes of steam. Gentle as ever Emma placed the baby back in the co-sleeper and bent near Regina's face; so close Regina had to blink a few times to avoid going cross-eyed, "You understand?" she hissed, darkly "Trust you? _Fuck you, Regina._ "

 

Static zapped and Emma wheeled around marching out the door and back toward her room.

 

Shock and confused Regina swished her hand through the air as a reflex and instead of blasting through her door to the spare room Emma blasted right back into the room. "What was it I said that was offensive to you?" Regina deadpanned, her heart pounding out an angry hurt rhythm at the abhorrence she had just seen on her loves face.

She knew she shouldn't be surprised but, oh, how that had hurt.

 

Emma looked around confused on how she had gotten there, "You understand? You understand? I'm sorry that being linked to me is so bad for you."

 

Alarmed at how Emma had taken her words Regina swished her hand again before Emma crashed into her own room and once again the blonde stumbled right back into Regina's. "What do you mean being linked to you is bad for _me_?"

 

"God damn it!" Emma hissed and wheeled back around.

 

She crashed through Regina's door once, twice and a third time before throwing her hands in the air in hoarse whispered defeat "What? Regina, what?"

 

"I will continue to do this for as long as you continue to try to return to your room."

 

"Fine." Emma barked and instead of heading to her room headed down the stairs. Frustrated to no end Regina grabbed at thin air and Emma was back at the foot of her bed in a puff of purple smoke.

 

"This is not fair!"

 

"What did you mean, is it so bad to be linked to you?" She wanted her words to hiss, she wanted them to bite but instead they wobbled just a bit at the edges.

 

"You understand? It's so bad for you to be linked to me instead of – who? Daniel? It's so bad to be linked to me instead of someone else that you offer me condolences?" Emma snarled. Emma could be defensive and Emma could be a little wild but it was rare for Emma to be this unruly. It made Regina's heart beat hard and demanding in the core between her legs. "I said it before and I'll say it again, fuck you, Regina. I'm so sick of waiting and hoping for you. I'm done." She turned to leave but Regina psychically grabbed her arm from across the room. "I'll just do it again."

 

So Emma stood resigned glaring.

 

Regina's lip trembled but she cleared her throat and forced it steady and strong, "That wasn't what I meant at all."

Shock wiped Emma's angry face clean at the wretched tone behind Regina's words. "What I meant was I'm sorry that of all the people it could have been you got unlucky enough to be bound to me. I didn't mean I feel unlucky to be bound to you."

 

Emma's eyes narrowed, "Did you ever ask me if I felt unlucky?"

 

"What?" Regina didn't understand.

 

"Did you ever bother to ask if I felt unlucky that it was you instead of Neal or August or – anyone else?"

 

"Naturally I just assumed –"

 

"Yeah, well, you're an ass, Regina."

 

"I'm sorry?" Regina almost laughed.

 

"Ass. You're an ass."

 

They stared at one another, the hostility melting from Emma's shoulders. "I'm not unlucky." Emma shrugged, "I love you." She shrugged as though that was the simplest thing in the world.

 

"What?" The words hit Regina's heart like a sledgehammer making it weak and stronger all at once.

 

Slowly Emma crossed the room and crawled into Regina's lap, straddling her and taking her face in her hands. Regina felt her mind spin out of focus as she stared into those eyes, the eyes that this woman had shared with Regina's son and daughter.

 

"What do I have to do to make you get that?"

 

Regina whimpered in her chest as softly Emma bent down and placed her lips on hers.

 

It was nothing but surrender that Emma required from her; she could feel her tugging for it with every slow, soft pull of her lips. With Emma there - in her lap - softly caressing her face as they slowly kissed; Regina felt it pour out of her. Emma loved her. _Emma loved her._

 

The lights of the room flickered on and off as a thrill shot through Regina feeling Emma's hands on her. They scooted down into the bed until they were eye to eye, nose to nose, staring.

 

"Can we stop fighting now, please? I feel like I've been fighting for months. I'm ready for things to be easy."

 

Easy. The word sounded like a highly sought after treasure.

 

Regina just smiled and accepted Emma's lips again.

 

Gently Emma removed Regina's shirt and pajama pants from her body tossing them behind her and studiously Regina did the same, wanting to feel her skin against Emma's, wanting to feel their connection. They fell together, slightly wriggling in anticipation, as they held tight to the other.

Emma's hand trailed lightly down Regina's belly and landed to the spot where their daughter had been only a few short weeks ago. Upon remembering they had magic Regina had wasted no time in healing her body, reducing her still slightly swollen belly and hips. At the time Regina had been proud to do it, always proud of her physique but now she wondered if Emma missed the bump. Emma smiled lightly and pushed her over, crawling on her and resting her face on the belly seeming content.

 

Regina smiled, softly and simply running her hands through the blonde's hair and they sighed together.

 

"Do you regret it at all?"

 

"What?"

 

"The pregnancy."

 

"What?" Regina pulled the woman up to eye level and planted another tender kiss on her lips, "Absolutely not. You gave me my daughter and for that I will always be grateful."

 

Their mouths came together in a spiral of passion and desire and when the two were spent, just as the morning light was filtering through the window Regina drifted off to sleep in the arms of her Fate.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Violence

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Finally, after months of wanting, when she woke the next morning Regina had not left the bed before Emma had woken and she didn't smile distantly and roll away. As a matter of fact the moment the brunettes eyes were open she stretched long, smiling and rolled herself on top of Emma.

Emma grinned, "Hey stranger."

Regina beamed and kissed her lightly, sending electric shocks through Emma's body. Greedily needing, Emma wrapped her hands in the soft hair and deepened the kiss.

Regina moaned lightly as Emma's tongue slipped past her lips and softly began to caress the brunettes. "I can feel that everywhere." She whispered.

Emma grinned, "Like the foot message?"

"Mmm, like the foot message."

"Hmm. Maybe it's a True Love thing." Emma rolled them over, pressing herself willingly into Regina and with perfect concentration and perfect desire softly wrapped her tongue around Regina's again, stroking and baiting until Regina was panting and whimpering under her, her hands gripping and releasing, gripping and releasing Emma's hips. This felt wonderful! So wonderful and...

The doorbell rang downstairs and disappointed Emma went to pull away.

"No, no, no, come back." Regina grabbed her so Emma did, unable to stop herself as her hands slipped down Regina's naked body.

"Mom, David's at the door." Henry called from the bottom of the stairs to whichever mom was awake and could hear him.

That did it. Sarah twitched in her sleep and let out a tired wail.

Emma frowned, "Now we actually have to get up."

Breathless and sensually flushed Regina nodded.

"Feed her, I'll see what he wants."

Throwing on a quick pair of shorts and a tee-shirt she fumbled her way downstairs, tired as if she hadn't slept the night before at all.

"Dad?"

"Someone broke into Rumples shop last night. We don't know yet what she took but we need to start making a plan about Cora."

* * *

 

"She took a binding spell." Rumple stated as soon as Emma, cradling Sarah and Regina flew through his door.

"Binding? Binding what to what?"

"Well that's the point, dearie. We have no way of knowing."

"Okay." Emma said uncertainly, "So what do we do?"

"We have to come up with a plan." David insisted.

So standing around the counter of the pawnshop Emma, Regina, Rumple, Snow and Charming came up with a plan to trap Cora.

"I don't like this." Regina sighed, eyebrows drawn in worry, "Your magic isn't as strong as mine. What if you get hurt?"

Emma caught the eyes of her True Love doing her best to reassure her, "That's why she will come. Don't worry, Sarah and I will be fine."

Regina shook her head fearfully so Emma, not totally convinced of her safety herself, kissed her softly, "I'll be okay."

Snow let out an excited squeal behind her hands at the kiss; clearly unaware her daughter had decided to follow the path of True Love.

Regina rolled her eyes.

"Okay. No time like the present." Taking a deep breath Emma tucked her daughter away into her carrier and headed toward Regina's vault; pausing only to glance back at Regina as she sighed and began whispering her spell into her hands.

* * *

 

Emma stood in the stone doorway for a while, tasting the air for anything that could possibly be wrong. She poked and prodded but finding nothing finally gave in and descended the stairs. At the bottom Emma settled in, rocking the carrier with her foot and waited for Cora to take the bait.

If all went well Cora would come looking for her, knowing that Regina was otherwise 'occupied' searching the forest for her mother. All Emma had to do was get her into the vault and the spell Regina cast would render her temporarily magicless and trapped. It wouldn't be for long but just long enough for Regina and Rumple to banish her to the caverns under the town where they could bind her with the handcuffs that Regina had used on Maleficent all of those years ago.

It wasn't a permanent fix but it would hold Cora until they could find a way to strip her of her power permanently or send her to another realm.

She was just beginning to worry when suddenly with a whoosh the door to the vault flew open. Emma scrambled to her feet, taking Sarah possessively in her arms and forcing a look of shock onto her face.

"Cora!"

Cora descended the steps slowly, arrogance throbbing from her.

"You were not hard to find."

Emma shook her head, beginning to babble, "But you're not supposed to know where this is! You aren't supposed to be able to find this place."

Cora laughed, "Foolish girl, you forget I know my daughter. I know where she likes to hide her valuables."

Emma's heart beat harder and harder in her chest as Cora slowly approached the line that would trap her.

Emma backed against the wall, feigning trapped, holding her daughter close to her, her hand out protectively in front of her, fingers crackling threatening.

"Oh Savior," Cora laughed, whisking her hand through the air. The snapping and crunching as her lighted fingers shattered was gruesome. Pain washed over Emma as she screamed, dropping to her knees in real surprise. "You're so foolish."

Stepping through the barrier Cora pulled a small blade from her waistband but hesitated when she saw Emma grinning.

"Now who's foolish?" Emma goaded knowing in a moment she would have to fight hard. Perhaps Cora's magic was trapped in the room but there was nothing magic about cold steel sinking into soft flesh.

Her confidence wavered a bit as Cora beamed, clearly in on some secret, "Who's foolish? Why, you are, my dear."

Emma gasped as with the speed of lightning she saw more then felt the blade enter her side.

 _No, no, no, I have to stand._ Shock shook her body as she went to stand but found she couldn't, all feeling lost in her body as a slow thick fog spilled from her open wound, seductively wrapping itself around her.

"The blood of a black unicorn." Cora said seriously, all fun and games gone from her face. "Its poison is not only deadly but, for a little while, completely disabling."

Emma was screaming behind lips that couldn't move; thrashing behind limbs that wouldn't, couldn't budge. Panic and fear shook her to her very soul. _Sarah. Sarah was unprotected._ She hadn't even registered that there was a slow poison spilling through her nor had she noticed the warm liquid running slowly but steadily down her side and thigh, promising her imminent doom.

Emma screamed, begging Cora behind her locked eyes, tears splashing onto her shirt. She called for Regina, she turned and twisted in a body that was not her own.

_Not my baby! Leave my baby alone! No! Sarah! REGINA!_

Solemnly Cora plucked the sleeping baby from her mothers frozen arms and with a sigh of work well done. After a moment of internal praise she turned back toward the barrier.

A flash of triumph engulfed Emma for a moment as she realized that she might be trapped temporarily but so was Cora. They would come for her eventually and find all three of them. Hope wasn't los -

With an angry flick of Cora's wrist, the invisible barrier set by her True Love solidified instantly into a thick shining black glass, shimmering treacherously in the candlelight. Cora's finger flicked and with a ground shaking shatter the glass exploded, scaring Sarah out of her sleep and into an angry roar of protest.

Without so much as a look back, Cora stepped through the doorway and began ascending the stairs, clenching a fist once behind her as she went.

Shrieking and crying behind her own personal prison Emma could do nothing but listen as the screaming cries of her daughter faded away into nothing.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Emma:**

* * *

 

Trapped. Trapped. She was trapped. She screamed in her head, willing her fingers to move, to release some type of freeing magic but none would come.

 _Please, please, please_ , she begged. She had to follow. She had to save her.

 _Sarah_!

It felt like hours of trying, of begging her body to move, to do anything. It felt like hours of watching the blood trickle across the stone floor out of her pierced side, feeling her life draining away moment to moment.

 _Wait_! Her hand though had been resting in her lap previously had some how with her efforts lifted, half an inch. She could do this. She could do this! She channeled all of her energy into making her hand move, focusing with every inch of her being. The more she pushed the quicker the blood flowed from her wound, puddling at an alarming rate. Blood vessels in her eyes popped with her exertion and agonized sobs rip soundlessly through her. She could do this. She _would_ do this.

She pushed harder, her vision blurring to grey. With a pop Emma's nose began to flow but her focus did not fail. She could do this, she could do this, she could– her hand finally rested on the hilt of the blade. It took her a torturously long amount of time to close her fingers around the knife but slowly, laboriously she pulled removing the blade a hair at a time, thankful that the black fog rendered her body numb.

Emma's vision swan thicker as the tip of the knife loomed closer to the surface, spots appearing in her vision before giving way to other darker spots.

With an internal scream of triumph the tip slipped from her skin and Emma collapsed to the ground, shuddering and wailing; the pain the smoke had been keeping at bay washing over her. It hurt like nothing she had ever felt before.

She wanted to lay here, just lay here on the cold ground. Her body felt heavy and sick as if she were trying to lift a sack of unfamiliar potatoes, unsteady of her own arms and legs.

But she didn't hesitate; pulling herself up from the ground by her unbroken hand, she screamed in agony as pain twisted and curled through every cell in her body. When her body collapsed under her she started the process again until she was on her unsteady feet.

Gathering her energy she launched herself hard for the stairs, not sure of where she would be going but resolute on finding her daughter.

She ran full tilt toward the door and -

**_BAM_ **

Her head twisted to the side, the bone in her cheek and jaw shattering on contact as she collided with the invisible something. Her body spun through the air and landed hard against the wall. An electric current from the new barrier held her half way up the wall, feet off the ground for an eternity as her whole body seized, draining her, taking from her what life she had left.

She was released from the current and dropped to the stone floor in an unconscious heap.

 

**Regina:**

* * *

 

It had been too long. She paced back and forth in the Charming loft, snapping at anyone who tried to calm her as she watched the sky slowly darken into night.

"I'm telling you it's been too long." She yelled, ignoring David’s stupid grin and Snow’s stupid look of surprise.

"Regina, calm down. Emma said she would call after Cora was trapped."

Regina shook her head, inconsolable. No, she could feel it. Something was wrong.

"I'm going to go."

"No!" David and Snow jumped up together making Regina's lips curl back into an angry growl.

"Regina, what if you going sets Cora off?"

Regina hesitated, "What about Sarah? She needs to eat. It is not as though Emma can feed her. She'll be hungry." It was a desperate plea she was sure would be discredited but the two shared a quick glance as if this thought made them uncomfortable as well.

"I think she's right." Henry finally voiced, pocketing his phone and standing off the couch, "Even if Cora hadn't come yet my mom would have let us know somehow. It has been too long."

Regina wanted to bury her son in her hugs and kisses. "Right." She nodded once, Henry's approval all she needed to give herself over to the cloud of thick purple smoke and let it take her where she needed to go.

* * *

 

She could smell something foul as soon as she entered the vault, carnal and charred. "Emma?" she called softly but got no response. "Emma?"

She took the stairs slowly, covering her nose and gagging slightly at the smell. "Emma?"

 

Her heart fainted dead away as she was greeted with not her mother or her love and child but a giant pool of congealing red blood, covering the majority of the vaults floor.

"No, no, no, no, Emma!" she screamed, finding the ragdoll body in a crumpled pile on the floor.

Turning her over in her arms Regina screamed in pain and fury. The skin across Emma's face was unnaturally crimson and black, charred and cracking like an overly cooked ham, leaking some type of clear liquid into her hair.

Helpless tears leaking down her face as she quietly chanting her name, her fingers searching the body for the source of blood. Lifting her shirt she cried out hoarsely. Every inch of skin was covered with black, purple and blue marks highlighted by the turn of thick black twisting veins starting at a huge burn near her belly button and branching around her body. It was as if the woman had been struck by lightning. Finally, her eyes fell on the mangled fingers of the woman's hand, each finger pointing the wrong direction, the out of place shoulder and the deep valleys in her face which read of broken bones. What had happened to her?

Holding her breath she felt around the woman's neck doing her best to avoid the blackened skin, praying to whichever gods would hear her that she could locate a heartbeat.

A light thrumming pressed against her fingertips and Regina cried out.

Resting her love down on the ground again she closed her eyes and drew herself down to the center of her strength gathering and pooling then released her magic in purple clouds over Emma's body. The blacked face twisted and flaked, burnt skin falling away slowly turning from broken dead skin to a bright pink healthy healing of new skin. She was sure Emma would have a scar and there was little she could do about that right now. She watched as the bones righted themselves and then moved her glowing hands over the midriff. The jagged lines across her stomach and ribs began to fade, the multicolored bruises washed out from black to purple to green to yellow as they healed. Soft cracking in Emma's body told Regina that the cracks in her ribs were softly being filled and straightened again. Taking the arm she pulled until the shoulder popped into place and then took broken hand into her fingers. She let out an anguished cry and she yanked, pulling each one into its proper place so it didn't fuse incorrectly before holding the hand to her lips and willing it to heal. As the skin across her face and stomach healed Regina began to notice a long black slit in Emma's side. She softly touched it to see that it was still indeed oozing a small amount of black mist and alarmingly dark red blood. She stopped healing instantly. "Oh god!" She cried.

Fingers fumbling in a panic she ripped the phone from her pocket and began to dial, "I need you to go to Rumpelstiltskin and get an antidote for the blood of a black unicorn – I don't care how just DO IT!"

She slammed the phone closed and pulled Emma into her lap, tapping the cheek that wasn't burned trying to wake her. Her head snapped up as a thought occured to her. She looked around frantically, Sarah? Where was Sarah?

Regina jumped to her feet thrashing through the room, going to the empty carrier and every possible hiding spot, calling for the baby as if the baby would call her back.

When she was sure she was not there she dropped to her knees, wild panic blurring her vision as she shook the woman fiercely. Finally Emma groaned, low and deep, a sound a great pain. It hurt Regina’s heart to hear but she couldn’t focus on that now.

"Sarah? Emma, where's Sarah?"

Emma's next groan wracked into a full body howl, shaking her hard, "She took her. She took our baby. She took her right out of my arms, Regina. I couldn't stop her! _Our baby_."

"What?" Regina breathed, not sure how to process this. Regina jumped to her feet about to head up the stairs in search when Emma weakly grabbed her arm.

"Barrier." She whispered hoarsely.

"What?"

"Don't touch the barrier."

Understanding flooded through Regina. The lightning strike.

Carefully she inched her way to the doorway, where she knew the barrier sat invisible but deadly. She poked it ever so lightly and saw a small bite of white lightning snap back at her.

More aggressively she poked it again and the barrier reacted to the pressure, the lightening thicker, holding her hand in its pull for a moment burning her and sending shocks of pain through her fingers.

The binding spell Cora had stolen. It bound whoever entered the room to the room itself and the harder you hit the barrier, the more you tried to escape, the stronger the charge. How strong had Emma hit it in order to receive injuries such as those? The thought sent a fist full of fury though her, her fingers sparking menacingly, building in her until she pulsated a bright purple. "I will not be locked in my own vault." The Queen sneered. Summoning a tidal wave of magic she sent a blast at the barrier strong enough to level a large village but the moment it hit the invisible wall the ball of energy recoiled and shot straight back at Regina. She ducked, dropping to her knees, breathing hard and swearing.

Concentrating hard Regina tried to allow herself to slip through space in her purple smoke but the smoke wouldn't come. She tried again and again focusing until finally she had to stop else faint, her breath harsh in her chest.

She crawled her way back to Emma, taking her into her arms again and rocking her as Emma bawled.

"It's all right, my love. It's all right. We will find her. We will find her." She crooned to the fallen woman as the wheels of her mind turned. She had gotten into the room without any consequence so clearly you could enter you just couldn't leave again.

She rocked the woman doing her best to calm her but there was no consoling the woman's helpless sorrow until finally, unable to think through her loves pain she snapped, "Emma! We will find her but I need you to stop crying now so I can think of a way to get us out of here."

The flow of tears didn't ebb even slightly but Emma nodded, silencing herself.

Regina brushed her hair back with a shaky hand and thanked her, kissing her still healing lips. Emma tried to smile but instead coughed, suddenly gagging and wheezing on nothing. Her eyes shot wide in fear her hand vice like on Regina's.

"Emma? Emma!"

Emma twist and turned, her fingers clutching at her throat, her eyes wide and panicked as she tried to take a deep breath in.

"Emma, look at me! Look at me!" She commanded, holding her face hostage until Emma's terrified eyes locked with hers, "it's the unicorn blood, you need to calm down otherwise the poison with spread faster." Regina noted with pride that on the outside her voice sounded steady and sure in no way reflecting the barely held back panic that threatened every moment to overtake her. "Look at me, come on. Breathe." She slowly pulled in a breath willing Emma to copy it. After a few more thrashing moments Emma settled her body, shaking hard and copied Regina's pace as best as she could, wheezing wetly.

A clatter on the stairs let her know someone was finally coming.

"Regina? Emma?" Snow called barreling toward them.

"STOP!" Regina screamed, making Snow nearly fall forward as she skidded. "There's a barrier. You can come in but you can't leave again."

"Regina? What's happened?" Snow asked eyeing the blistering scars on her daughters face and the rasping way Emma clung to Regina, fighting with everything she had for another breath.

"Cora. I think she stabbed her with a knife dipped in black unicorn blood. She took Sarah."

"No!" Snow cried, gripping the wall to keep her upright. "I think Emma tried to run after her once she was released from the poisons hold and was nearly electrocuted nearly to death by the barrier."

Snow sat hard on the bottom step.

"Do you have the antidote?" Regina couldn't get herself to look up from Emma's lips as slowly they began to turn blue. Emma was dying. She was dying in her arms.

She heard the clatter of glass on stone and felt the vial roll against her leg. Her breath rushed from her chest in relief and without thinking twice opened it and drained the vial into Emma's mouth promising in whispers "You're going to be okay, my love. You're going to be okay."

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Regina:**

* * *

 

There was little they could do now. Every magical virtuoso in the city had been to the sealed vault and each in turn had shaken their heads sadly saying there was no way to break the curse without Cora.

 

Emma could sit against the wall by herself now and was slowly forming the ability to speak through her ripped and raw throat again.

 

Regina had spent the better part of the night closer to The Evil Queen then she had allowed herself in a long time, furious and snarling in her trap.

 

"This is ridiculous!" She bellowed yet again, "There must be some way to get through this." Regina crackled a shock toward the barrier yet again and yet again was only met fire with fire.

 

"Regina, stop it." Emma rasped, "You're going to kill us."

 

Regina spun on her heels wanting to snap, wanting to bite and devour but bit it all back and the still pale face. "You're right. But someone has to DO something!"

 

Snow remained just on the other side of the barrier, looking heartsick and torn nodding but there was nothing to say. They all knew that David was searching the town now doing his best to locate Regina's mother. It just seemed as though she simply wasn't there.


	21. Chapter 21

**Henry:**

* * *

 

He stared up at the twisting wooden frame of the ceiling as he had been doing for the last few hours, listening with all of his concentration.

 

 _Bump, bump._ One, his own.

 _Bump, bump._ Two, strong and resilient.

 _Bump – bump._ Three, a little slower, obviously strained.

 _Bump, bump._ Four, the tiny flutter of the newest one.

 

He hadn't realized he was feeling the heartbeats continuously, the feeling so second nature to him, until the night before when one of the heartbeats had slowed and nearly stopped. He had screamed for his grandfather that something was wrong only to be met with the desperate instruction to stay inside while David pelted toward the vault.

Henry jumped up, pacing like mad. Where was everyone? Why had they left him here without any way of getting news of their plan?

"Ugh!" he yelled, exasperation filling him as he kicked the side of the couch. He couldn't just sit here. That was _not_ what heroes did!

Resigning himself to the fact that this was going to get him into trouble he opened the door and slipped down the hall.

He didn't need to be told where his mothers were he could still feel a thread seemed to be stretching from him to them as their heartbeats called to him.

He frowned, his head was beginning to hurt from the concentration it took to hold on to the heart beats but no, he wasn't going to give up. He ran toward the graveyard, toward his mothers but skidded to a stop alarmed as she passed Gold's Pawn Shop. Suddenly the pull had split into two different directions, one leading him toward the graveyard but he other leading off – he looked toward the night darkened woods and shuddered at their creeping ominous beckon.

He shook his head, no way.

Taking off running again he flew through the doors of the vault and barreled toward the voices of his mothers talking worriedly, immediately comforted by the sound.

"Henry!"

He screamed in frustration as Snow caught him around the middle.

His mothers were there at the door of the vault in second, hands held up in warning, "Henry, henry you can't come in here."

"What are you talking about?" he struggled against his young grandmother grip, finally righting himself.

"Henry," Emma said weakly, her voice so strained and tired that it caught his attention completely.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"I'm okay kid but listen, you can't come in here. There's a barrier." She touched midair and winced as the lightning licked her skin as proof. Regina rolled her eyes and pulled her back a foot, into her protective arms. "If you come in then you can't leave again."

He was confused, "So? I'd be with you guys."

Regina shook her head, "Tt's not safe Henry. Look, at your feet." He did and noticed a thick white line of chalk a foot from where he stood, "Please don't pass that."

He felt a ripple of rebellion for a moment but decided against it, sitting next to Snow and demanding the full story.

His concentration thickened as each detail was perhaps slightly unwillingly given to him. So his mothers didn't have Sarah and David was out searching for Cora. He thought of all the places he knew of in the city where someone could hide. "Did you look in the mines?"

Snow sighed heavily, "I sent Leroy and the others down there earlier. It's a long shot though, there is a lot of space to cover."

He nodded; concentrating again when a bright light filled his mind. "Wait! I think I have an idea! I'll be right back." He jumped to his feet, elated and charged off back the direction he had come.

He rounded the corner by Gold's shop and stopped just outside the entrance to the forest.

Closing his eyes he tried with all of his might to pull the heartbeats back to him. It was late and he was tired. "Come on." He whispered, concentrating. "Come on!"

He felt a faint flutter but it died away as quickly as he had felt it.

_Come on! I can do this. I believe I can do this! I can -_

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

"Yes!" He whooped and hollered for a moment, jumping up and down and reveling in the feeling of the connection before focusing again, getting down to business.

Four beats, his own, two pulling from a direction behind him but yes, there was definitely one pulling him this way.

"Sarah!" he whispered and burst into action again, running full speed back to the mansion on Mifflin.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

 

He slammed back through the door of his house and without hesitation ran up to his room. He threw his backpack onto the bed and gathered all he needed. His deep blue pea coat and favorite red and grey scarf. The headlamp that Leroy had given him on his last birthday. All the flashlights and batteries he could find. A notebook and pencil. Then he ran downstairs and threw in bottles of water and food. He had no way of knowing how far he would need to go. He tossed the backpack on and he was ready.

 _Oh wait_ , if Ruby and David had taught him anything at all on their tracking excursions then he knew – he ran back upstairs and grabbed his compass before slamming back out of the front door and back toward the pull he clung to desperately.

He only stopped when he was a breath away from the woods entrance, his heart failing him. The branches swirled and twisted together ominously, the dark spaces between their trunks whispering malcontent. His mind couldn't help but to conjure dark images of chalk white hands reaching, unspoken, behind him, trying to wrap around his throat or the bright red glowing eyes of an unknown something placed too high from the ground to be comfortable.

Squaring his shoulders he plopped his bag down and pulled the headlamp on, the white glow in front of him promising safety. There was no time to be scared when his sister was waiting for him.

He pulled the backpack over his shoulders and took a confident step into the blackness of the forest.

 

**Emma:**

* * *

 

She still hurt everywhere but slowly with Regina's help she was gaining the ability to stand on her own two feet again. If she could have, she would share in Regina's pacing, feeling like a caged animal.

She sat on the table, eyes following Regina as she mumbled and blew by.

"Hey." She caught the woman and pulled her to her, "We'll get out of here soon."

Regina smiled halfheartedly.

"Regina."

She frowned and pulled her against her. Regina sighed and let her head rest on her shoulder, "I'm just so mad at myself. I never should have sent you in here. You almost died, Emma. I could feel your heartbeat slowing."

"But I'm okay now. And I'm sure Sarah is okay, Henry is okay and we will find her before that changes."

She stroked the hair and did her best to soothe her, knowing full well that she didn't feel any more confident than Regina did.

"Do you think we'll know?"

"Know what?"

Regina leaned back, giving the blonde the full blast of her deeply turmoiled eyes; "If Cora does it before we get there."

They both just shared the look, unwilling or unable to answer.

 

**Henry:**

* * *

 

As the night became morning Henry felt the tension between his eyes cool and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck lay down, calmed by the sunlight.

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had run from the vault, he just knew that his legs were beginning to feel sore and his stomach was beginning to ache. He took a small break, resting against a huge tree and munching on his pack of food before resolutely continuing, marking his location on the little map he was drawing for himself.

As afternoon grew into evening and evening into night again he began to wish he had left a note. He was sure by now that the Charming's would be scouring the city trying to find him and his mothers were probably in a state of panic. Still it never occurred to him to turn back, not when he hadn't completed his hero's journey.

Finally, his feet aching, his hands bruised and bleeding from all of the times he tripped, he could spot a glow of yellow in the distance. Energized by the sight he crept low to the ground but quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt like G.I. Joe or Lancelot as he ducked under the window ledge listening painfully to the sound of a baby crying.

Carefully he pulled himself up to the window and peeked over, ducking again immediately at the sight of his grandmother; his heart suddenly crashing in his throat. He looked up again and saw this time that while Cora was indeed there but she sat at a little table a beautiful glowing ball in front of her. The look on her face was vicious, ripping with anger and violence.

"When? When can it be done?" she yelled, slamming her hands down on the table making Sarah start and cry even louder.

Cora groaned and snapped her fingers irritably. While Henry could still see the red face baby wailing away no sound came from the little box where she lay.

"Leave." Henry whispered. "Come on leave!" He was sure that if Cora just took a walk or went outside for any extended amount of time he could sneak in and take his sister.

But no, the thought occurred to him, if he took Sarah now without a way to stop Cora there was no way he would make it back to the town. She would catch him and she would eat him for breakfast.

His eyes roved over the cabin in desperation, there must be something he could do. There must be -

His eyed widened as he looked to the shelf behind the woman. There glowing faintly purple was a vial. The purple substance seemed to boil like liquid and smoke like steam all at once as it churned around its confines. He had seen something like it before.

The memory of the purple cloud washing over him sent chills down his spine and though he wasn't sure exactly what the stuff was, he knew this was the thing he needed to grab once inside.

With that he sat heavily, leaving against the walls and waiting for the woman to exit the cabin.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Henry:**

* * *

 

He snapped awake suddenly, yelping in his shocked state. He hadn't meant to fall asleep! He chanced a look into the window and saw Cora, in a new dress for the day but sitting once again at the table staring at the ball.

"Come on. Leave!" He whispered, begging. He was sure that his family would be worried by now but he couldn't leave. Not yet...

 

It wasn't until the morning sun had long faded into hot afternoon that Cora sat up, mumbling to herself and spun herself into the purple smoke he had seen his mother use so many times.

He ran. He had no idea where the villain had disappeared to or when she would be back but he had to try. He wrenched the door open and flew at the basket where Sarah was sleeping.

"Hi!" He chirruped joyfully into the basket. "I can't take you now because she will see that you're gone but I'm coming back for you I promise." He gave her a big sloppy kiss and then tentatively checked the pulsating purple bottle to be sure there were no protections put on that, if his mother had been there he would have made her proud, before burying it deeply in his pocket and turning to run.

 

He ran and ran, only stopping for a few quick drinks of water and a small rest. He ran until with a yell of victory he pushed through the trees and turned the corner to Mr. Gold's shop.

"HENRY!" Arms enveloped him before he could see who it was, "We were so worried! Where were you? You've been gone for so long. What happened?" Snow pulled him to arms length checking for wounds.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He grinned wildly as she announced, "I found them."

* * *

 

"It's the curse isn't it?" He asked Rumple, already sure of the answer.

"I believe so." Rumple said, his eyes glinting with greed. "I believe it to be a concentrated form, invoked but not yet given instructions.

"Whatdya mean?"

"Well Henry," Rumple said in the kind tone he saved only for his grandson, "when your mother invoked the curse the first time she knew she wanted everyone to go to a place where they lost all of their happy endings. So she told the curse that was its purpose. This," he shook the vial, "hasn't been told its purpose yet. A little of this, a few whispered words and anything could happen."

"Good." Henry snatched it from the man's grasping hands and returned it to is pocket, not wanting to take any chances.

"So does that mean if we open it everyone will be cursed again?" Snow asked, worried.

"No, dearie, this seems to be a concentrated dose only enough for one person. I imagine Cora has Regina in mind, make her forget her True Love or worse, perhaps make Ms. Swan forget _her_."

"How does it work?"

Rumple shrugged a bit, "Get it into her body. I recommend the eyes."

Henry grinned, turning to his grandparents, "I know what to do. Gramps, we need Blue."

* * *

 

Hiking through the forest was far less worrying this time as he traveled with David, Snow and Blue; though the trip was still far from fun as it would have been if they were traveling for any other reason. The only conversation that was held was when with a sigh or a shudder Snow randomly would exclaim; "I can't believe you walked all of this way by yourself!"

Then Henry would chuckle and insist that he was no baby.

"Okay, I think we're getting close." Henry finally insisted as he checked his homemade map and the compass. "It should be just up there."

Snow surveyed the woods uneasily, "It worries me that there have been no traps or protections of any kind. I don't trust that." She and David exchanged a look speaking volumes while Blue, small and timid usually seemed to prepare herself, agreeing with their thoughts.

Henry frowned, he hadn't thought of that, "But I got through last night."

David went to explain but Blue broke in, understanding far before Henry had been able to, "It's me, Henry. If Cora put any protections around her hiding place no doubt they will be to detect magic."

David nodded apologetically, "Since I'm sure she assumes the only people who would come looking for her are your mothers."

"Besides," Snow added, "most things won't detect children."

"Oh. What do we do?" His heart had fallen into the pit of his stomach. If they couldn't get Blue to the cabin there would be no way to get close to his grandmother but worse, if Blue got hurt because he brought her here then what would he do? It wasn't fair that both of his mothers had magic _and_ his father was the son of The Dark One, yet he had not been given the gift.

The pixie-like woman straightened her back, "We continue on."

"And rely on Cora's arrogance." David nodded at his own thoughts, "Any trap we find will be just that. Cora will want to incapacitate her foes but, forgive me, but deal any final blows herself."

The adults exchanged a look again; David palming his gun and Snow carefully removing her bandit's sword from its sheath as they moved forward with greater caution.

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Henry:**

* * *

 

Henry's heart began its steady climb again as he worried for the adults in the company. "Look, there." In the distance, the small cabin finally came into focus, sending a collective shiver down the party's spines.

They moved slowly, every step calculated but as they approached unharmed Henry felt a glimmer of hope sprout inside him, "Maybe she didn't put anything up because she didn't expect anyone to find –"

Blue took a tentative step ahead of David and suddenly the forest came alive. Instantly Blue began to sink into the ground while huge vines the size of manhole covers shot toward the sky and began to flap like octopus legs. David, caught off guard took a huge one to the side of the chest flying into a tree trunk.

"Charming!" Snow cried running to him as Henry pulled on Blue's arms, trying with all of his might to stop her from being swallowed into the earth.

"Help! Help me!" He screamed to anyone who would listen.

Seeing David was only out of breath Snow ran, taking Blue's other arm and pulling. Panting hard they pulled her from the earth but upon taking her first step Blue was whipped upside down by the tail of a vine and slammed hard into a tree trunk.

"Blue!" He screamed as Snow began to hack at the vine with her sword.

"Run Henry, run!" David yelled, dodging assailing branches and doing his best to move forward toward the cabin.

He looked up again to see Blue hanging limply by the ankle and felt tears prick at his eyes.

Sarah. He had to save Sarah.

He ran full tilt in the direction of the cabin but was swung off of his feet, blasted backward as, in a puff of purple, Cora stood chuckling in front of him.

He got up refusing to be stopped so easily. His head hurt but he knew that was nothing to be concerned about right now. He flew at the woman, hoping he would faint one direction before shooting the other and getting past her but she caught him easily by the throat. Panic shot through him as his airways closed on itself.

"Oh look," Cora sneered so much like the evil version of his mother, "it's the other one of the set."

"Let him go!" Snow bellowed, pulling her attention as she plunged forward, sword at the ready. Henry dropped to the ground hard as Cora vanished into smoke again, reappearing behind Snow clutching her throat savagely. The choking sound that immediately emanated from his young grandmother scared him past the point he had ever been scared before. In a panic he looked around to see that David was now sinking slowly into the ground like quicksand and Blue still hung lifelessly above him.

He looked around for inspiration suddenly feeling very young and very small. He couldn't help anyone. He couldn't protect anyone.

A bright white and brown pebble caught his eye by his feet and without thinking he seized it. Pulling his arm back he released the little stone with all the strength he had in his arm, hearing the dull _thunk_ as it hit Blue squarely in the head. She yelped in pain reaching for the spot and Henry cheered. "Blue! Blue! HELP ME!"

She looked around the forest dazed.

"BLUE!" He jumped up and down flailing his arms but he couldn't grab the concussed woman's attention. Giving up that method, pushing Snow's desperate gurgles to the back of his mind he searched the ground again for a pebble small enough to chuck at the Mother Superior, terror rising.

"AH HA!" He wheeled his arm back again and this one connected squarely with her stomach.

"OW!"

"BLUE!" Finally, the woman craned around and saw what was happening below her. Without a moments hesitation her wand flew out in front of her commanding and with a flash of blue Cora froze her eyes wheeling dangerously. Everything instantly stopped and Henry felt his body slump against the tree trunk in relief. David pulled himself up from the ground while Snow pitched and swayed as best as she could, falling from Cora's hands in a gasp.

"It worked!" he grinned at David.

"Well that was the easy part. The rest is up to you." He placed his arm encouragingly and affectionately on Henry's arm before sprinting to Snow.

"Hurry Henry, I can't keep her trapped for long." Blue called still dangling.

"Right." Henry sighed. Now it was his turn.

He took a deep breath and pulled the vial from his pocket turning to Cora. Her flailing eyes landing on him before bouncing to the vial and back up to his face.

"Right." He said again, making up his mind on exactly what he wanted. "So you're my grandma." He stated plainly "which means things aren't supposed to be like this. I know power is something a lot of people wish for but I don't think it will ever make you happy. And I want to help you be happy. I believe in you, grandma. I really do."

With great difficulty he placed a drop of liquid in each eye and watched as the chocolate brown swirled into an electric purple then without hesitation he threw his arms around the woman's neck, burying his face and closing his eyes. With his mind he sent thoughts to her, commanding and informing the curse. Cora sitting on a bench reading to himself and his little sister. Cora laughing with Regina as they baked in the Mills kitchen. Cora kissing him goodnight as she tucked him in. Cora smiling happily down at Sarah, loving her. Cora seeing magic every day but never knowing or caring about using it herself. Cora living happily beside the people of Storybrooke. Cora living life under the spell of an utterly unbreakable curse. He squeezed with all of his might willing it to work, believing that it would work and they would be saved and Cora would be happy and peaceful.

A scream behind him registered then a soft thump as Blue fell from the vine and a colossal creaking began as the tentacle vines retreated slowly into the earth.

"I believe in you." He whispered, "I believe in you."

When all had fallen silent behind him he released her, taking a tentative step back.

How would he know if it worked?

He watched as the purple swirled a few seconds longer and then slowly thinned, clearing from her eyes.

Waving to Blue they all took positioned themselves around her, Blue pointing her wand straight as the woman's heart, ready. With a collective glance around the released the woman and they all held their breath.

Cora's body relaxed and she blinked a few times her eyes blank.

She looked around at the people surrounding her until her eyes fell on Henry. "Henry, what are you doing out here?"

Henry grinned, euphoria rippling through him. He had done it. It had worked! "We're here to get Sarah. You were babysitting, remember?"

Cora's eyes cleared just a little bit, "Right. Um, where is she?"

"She's inside! Come on." He took her hand without hesitation but David pulled him back. "Wait!"

They hesitated.

David slowly crept up to the woman who smiled kindly at him, "what's wrong David?"

Shock crossed his face.

"Who are you?"

Cora laughed, "What do you mean? I'm the same Anne-Marie that I was yesterday." She cupped his cheek, "Are you feeling all right, David dear?"

He chuckled a bit, "Uh, yeah. I guess so."

"Come on!" Henry insisted, pulling them toward the cabin.

Once inside Snow ran to the box, sighing with relief as she pulled the squirming girl to her.

Henry grinned, "She okay?"

"Yeah, I think she's okay."

David smiled down at him and pat his arm again, "Good job, buddy."

They started back into the forest five of them instead of three, Henry all the while holding Anne-Marie's hand.

"Hey Blue." He said turning back to her, "I'm sorry I threw those rocks at you."

"What?" her eyes were still slightly unfocused and there were to alarmingly large knots on her forehead.

"We had better get her to the hospital."

* * *

 

The trek was longer this time then it had ever been. Blue stumbled often and Anne-Marie seemed slightly dazed as they went, but slow and steady they made it.

Stepping past the Toll Bridge Henry could immediately sense the town was in a panic. Clearly the absence of Blue, Henry, David and Snow had been noted and seen as a vicious attack by Cora.

"Come on." Snow jerked her head toward the vault still cradling Sarah in her arms.

They party traipsed through the graveyard until Henry couldn't bare it any longer. Letting go of his grandmother's hand he ran for the vault and flew down the stairs, "Mom? Mom?"

Confusion hit him as he saw the little room at the bottom was empty.

"They aren't here!"

"Who are we looking for?" Anne-Marie asked, searching for anyone at all.

"My moms." He said confused, "They should be here."

"Henry," David said softly concern clearly marked on his face, "Why don't you and Snow and um, Anne-Marie go look at home. When the spell was released perhaps it released this one as well. I think I should take Blue to see Dr. Whale."

Snow nodded once again having a silent conversation with her husband before Henry saw that the gun that had been lying in wait slipped to Snow's hands.

"Guys, it's okay now. Cora is gone. You don't have to worry. I made sure it was unbreakable."

Snow nodded but looked as if she didn't believe this for a second, "Come on Henry."

"Wait," he cried, "hold on. I can find them." He closed his eyes and focused hard. It wasn't as easy as it had been before. He was so tired but he concentrated until he felt his body began to shake and there, lightly were the heartbeats.

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

_Bump, bump_

The pulls were in three different places now. One sat only a foot away from him, thrumming lightly while the other two separated into a fork. He wasn't sure which beat belonged to which mother so choosing one at random he said, "I know where they are. The heartbeats, they're so we'll always find each other!" And they started down the street together.

It was hard to follow the beats because the owner was clearly moving quickly, panicked but finally they turned the corner and saw Regina all but running up the street away from him.

"Mom!" He cried running after her. She spun on her heels; her face clearly tracked with old and new tear strains and shouted, "Henry!"

They collided together, his mother pulling him tightly against her and shuttering. "Henry, Henry, Henry where have you been?"

"I fixed it mom, look." He pointed behind him.

Regina stiffened, yelling, "Henry get back!"

Purple streaks shot from her fingers making a sound like thunder as she grabbed his grandmother.

"No, mom, no wait!"

"Regina! What are you doing?" Anne-Marie cried as she was instantly bound.

In a whisper, he explained everything that had happened to a slightly pale Regina and couldn't help but to feel a little aggravation when his mother didn't drop her hold. "Mom!" he pulled on her arm but to no avail.

"Are you sure?" she asked over his head to Snow who frowned.

"No, but it seems to be true. That or it's the greatest act ever."

"Mom!" Henry cried pulling again.

"I have this if that helps." Snow said holding up the gun.

"Stop it! All of you!" Henry cried, exasperation turning to anger. "If it didn't work then how else would she know the name Anne-Marie? I gave her that name! Stop it!"

Regina's eyes flicked to him and slowly she dropped her hands. The moment she had she ran to Snow taking Sarah in her arms, tears pouring again.

"Regina?" Henry heard the voice of his other mother in the distance pulled to the location by the thunder of his mother's magic. "REGINA?"

Emma flew around the corner and piled into Anne-Marie. With a scream she jumped up, trapping the woman in her own magical grip.

"Nooo!" Henry groaned stomping over to his mother as Anne-Marie sputtered, questioning what was wrong with her daughters tonight.

"Mom!" he pulled on her arm and glared at his other mother, demanding that she explain.

Relief spread through Emma's face when she saw that Regina had Sarah tightly in her arms.

"Emma," Regina touched her arm lightly and explained in a low voice.

"So who does she think she is?" She asked Henry in a horse whisper.

"She's Anne-Marie. My grandmother, duh."

Emma still hesitated. "Snow has a gun, if that helps." Regina said dryly making Henry glare.

Just as tentatively as Regina had Emma dropped her hold and pulled Regina, Sarah and Henry into her grasp, hugging them tightly, the women crying together.

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Regina:**

* * *

 

"You never told us how you got out of the vault." Snow asked as they left the pawnshop. The whole group had marched straight there deciding the only way they could be sure about Anne-Marie was to have Rumple read her memories.

 

"It's true!" He had cried, tickled, "All evil memories have been covered by the new ones. She's as harmless as a puppy dog. Well done, my boy."

 

Still, they all agreed that perhaps Anne-Marie should stay in Rumple's shop for the next few days – just in case.

 

Emma shrugged and answered her mother, "I don't know. We were waiting, going out of our freaking minds and suddenly there was this really loud pop. We tried throwing some things at the barrier but they just went through so we left and started to look for you guys."

 

"Hmm." Snow nodded.

 

Regina lightly brushed the back of Henry's hair, "I can't believe you did it. I'm so proud of you."

 

Her son grinned up at her.

 

They walked in silence until they reached the front door of their home. Snow hugged all of them tightly murmuring relief and then started off down the street.

 

Exhaustion hit as soon as they unlocked the door. It had been a very long and very hard few days and all Regina wanted to do was sleep.

 

Henry and Emma drifted off toward the living room but Regina stayed behind, a pin of bother pulling at her. Feeling the need to be completely sure Regina slowly walked back to the foyer of the house and pulling the last little bit of magic she had available to her released into the air a tight bubble enveloping the property in a clear but strong layer of magical protection. Finally, she felt her shoulders relax.

 

Tossing her shoes off of her feet she slumped into the living room beside Emma, Sarah clutched tightly on her legs and Henry tucked tightly to her side, a river of tears flowing down Emma's cheeks again.

 

Sitting next to her, she pulled her face to her kissing her soggy lips deeply. Emma took a deep breath and cried harder.

 

"It's okay love." She said reassuringly, pulling her family tightly into her, "We all found one another and we will never be apart again."


End file.
